"Fast, efficient, supportive care for temporal arteritis"

Persistent headaches and presented at Dalgety Bay GP in January 2021 during the Covid pandemic. Dr Lee the GP picked up on the symptoms very quickly and I attended Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy on the same day.

I was seen very quickly and given a number of tests and a scan and had a provisional diagnosis of Temporal Arteritis that day. I was started on medication and the symptoms subsided. I returned the next day for further tests and the diagnosis confirmed by Dr Gibson in ECAS.

My monitoring and treatment was taken over by Dr McLaren in Rheumatology and after a year of steroids and blood tests I am now off medication. From beginning to hopefully conclusion my treatment from the whole care team was exceptional.

I would make particular mention of the team at Dalgety Bay Surgery including Dr Lee, (who picked up on this initially), Dr Somerville and Dr Stewart who seen me very quickly when I had anxiety over symptoms and the reception, nursing and phlebotomy team. I am grateful to Dr Gibson for her diagnosis and treatment. To the radiology staff for the diagnostic scan and keeping me calm during the process. Dr McLaren and the rheumatology unit team for all the help and support over the past year.

I particularly liked that I could call and speak to someone when I had any queries and the telephone appointments with Dr McLaren were excellent. No travel, no waiting and enough time to clarify any questions I had. I preferred this for follow up rather than attending hospital.

I would also like to thank all the laboratory staff who analysed my bloods and got the results back very quickly. Also to Rowlands Pharmacy in Dalgety Bay who went above and beyond in the delivery of my medication. On one occasion the person from the pharmacy walked to my house to deliver the medication when the van couldn't access because of snow.

All in all my diagnosis and treatment was excellent particularly at the height of a pandemic.