Lionel’s message of thanks and best wishes to hospital staff
In June 2025, Lionel Duke was performing with his band, The Christians, at On the Waterfront festival in Liverpool when he experienced a cardiac arrest on stage and was brought to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH) for emergency treatment.
A year later, Lionel returned to the hospital to thank staff for the lifesaving care he received and also to pass on his best wishes to 12 members of staff from the LHCH radiology team, who are jumping out of a plane on Saturday 5th September in support of the hospital’s LHCH Charity.
Lionel said: “I was due to arrive at the Pier Head at lunchtime, but I don’t recall anything about the day apart from seeing a big cruise ship.
“I know I went on stage, sound-checked, drove back home, and came back to the venue. I don’t recall feeling unwell and I didn’t mention anything to anyone.
“The next thing I remember is waking up in Liverpool Heart and Chest and I was there for about 7 or 8 days before deciding that the best thing for me was to put in a defibrillator.”
He said the care he received throughout his stay and since discharge has been excellent: “The care from the staff was great, looking after me and making sure I was comfortable. I’m just so grateful to them.
“After I was discharged home, I signed up to do the 10 week cardiac rehabilitation programme and it was one of the best things I could have done. It helped me to do some exercise, as well as helping me to talk about what happened and meet other patients who’d had heart surgery themselves. I felt so much fitter after completing the programme and it really helped my confidence.”
Talking about the future, Lionel said he would enjoy life, “It’s a pleasure waking up and it’s even more of a pleasure to be able to play again.”
During his visit to LHCH, Lionel also wanted to pass on his very best wishes to a courageous group of skydivers from the hospital’s radiology department.
He joked: “They’re much braver than me, but I wish them all the best and I hope they get lots of support.”
Find out more about the skydive for LHCH Charity HERE or to watch Lionel talk about the care he received, WATCH HERE or below.
About our radiology team
The radiology department provide specialist imaging services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support patients throughout their care. Each year the department:
- carries out around 13,000 CT scans
- performs approximately 6,000 MRI scans
- undertakes more than 6,000 procedures in our cardiac catheter laboratories.
Behind every scan is a skilled team of radiographers, radiology assistants, X-ray staff, consultant radiologists, and the wider radiology workforce. Together, they provide high-quality diagnostic imaging and compassionate patient care.