A MAN whose heart stopped within hours of a GP examining him today has won the right to a substantial High Court damages payout.

Philip Phillips, of Cae Nant Gledyr, in Caerphilly was 55 years old when he was rushed to hospital with heart failure on May 3, 2011.

Mr Phillips had been to see his GP earlier that day and claimed he told the doctor he was having chest pains.

But he was sent away after being examined only to suffer the catastrophic heart failure shortly afterwards.

Through his lawyers, Mr Phillips sued the doctor for six-figure damages.

After a three-day trial, Judge Neil Bidder QC ruled in Mr Phillips' favour at the High Court in London.

The decision means Mr Phillips is entitled to a substantial, but undisclosed, damages payout.

The doctor had contested the claim on the basis that Mr Phillips had not told him about the chest pains.

During the case, the court heard Mr Phillips began suffering chest pains while driving for work on the day before the visit.

Giving evidence, he said the pains in his chest and down his left arm were enough to scare him.

'They were very severe indeed,' he said. 'So severe I thought I was going to pass out.'

By the time he got home, the pain had eased, but was back again in the morning, when he went to the GP's surgery for an appointment.

He said he told the doctor about the pain and felt reassured after he was checked over with a stethoscope.

Shortly afterwards, he had his heart attack and his heart actually stopped just before he got to casualty.

It took some time to resuscitate him and he ended up in intensive care, not being discharged from hospital until almost a month later.

His barrister, Nicholas Peacock, said Mr Phillips continues to suffer with heart problems, leaving him breathless and quick to tire. He has also suffered some memory loss.

Opening the claim, the barrister said the case would come down to one issue - did Mr Phillips tell the doctor he was suffering with chest pain?

'If Mr Phillips mentioned the chest pain, there was a breach of duty - if he didn't, there was not,' he told Judge Bidder.

'Mr Phillips' case is that he did; the doctor's case is that he did not.'

After ruling in Mr Phillips' favour, Judge Bidder refused the GP permission to challenge the outcome in the Court of Appeal.

'This was a judgment that was purely factual,' he said. 'There is absolutely no law involved here at all'.

'I have seen and heard the witnesses and, in my judgment, there is no realistic prospect of success and I refuse permission to appeal.'