"Finding out I had deep vein thrombosis"

I had a sore and swollen leg when I got home from holiday, and after it got worse rather than better over the weekend I sought medical advice. The whole journey from initial GP appointment to going home from hospital with the right medicine took little more than half a working day, which hugely reduced the stress and anxiety for me and my family.

The GP I met for the first time at my local surgery was thorough and professional. She confirmed there was an issue requiring further investigation, and carried out a number of checks to try to identify a cause for a possible blood clot. While she could clearly have carried out the key test at the surgery, she explained that procedures required this to be done at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and she made the necessary arrangements for me to be seen at ARI that same afternoon. She also made arrangements to speak to me again three days later, whatever the outcome of the referral to ARI.

My daughter took me to ARI directly from the GP surgery, and I was seen within a few minutes of arrival. The advanced nurse practitioner took bloods and explained very clearly what would happen next. As the blood test was positive for a blood clot she sent me to the scan department, where again I was seen within a few minutes of arrival. The member of staff who carried out the scan again explained the process in full, showed me the scan of my leg and explained the consequences of having an extensive blood clot and what would happen next.

From my initial meeting with a GP to receiving the result of the scan took only two and a half hours. There were no blips or breaks in this process, and the quality of service that allows the blood test, the scan, and the results all to be done and notified to the patient in that short period of time is exactly what all patients would like to experience.

The ANP at the admitting clinic was ready for my return, and made me comfortable while she went to discuss next steps with the senior registrar. She also obtained the medicine I needed to take home, and a note for me to pass to my GP so that she could prescribe the follow-up medicine. She explained how to take the medicine, and answered all my questions both about deep vein thrombosis and about practical steps I should take to manage the condition over the next three months.

Having left home to go to the GP at 12:30, I was back home with a clear understanding of next steps by 17:30. I was concerned before I left home both about the possibility I had a life-threatening condition and about how to reduce risk until I was diagnosed. By the time I got back, I knew I had an extensive blood clot on my leg, and that it was DVT, but I was also very confident that I had received the best possible support and advice and that I knew what I had to do to survive and recover from this unexpected illness.

I would strongly commend the same day service I received at ARI, and the high degree of professional care and personal support I received at every stage. Without a same day service, I would have experienced much greater anxiety and uncertainty, and I would not have reached the point of diagnosis and treatment so soon. With a condition which can be life-threatening, that clearly matters a great deal to all concerned.

My one concern in the whole process is the difficulty of getting seen by a GP in the first place, without which none of the above could have happened. In this case I was fortunate to be guided in obtaining an appointment by a relative who works in the NHS, but I know from my own experience that getting a health professional to look at an injury has been far too difficult in recent years, and access does not seem to have improved at the same pace as other services have recovered from the impact of the Covid pandemic. My experience confirms how vital that initial consultation can be.

I am extremely grateful to all involved in my being seen, diagnosed and well-informed through this whole process, and for the course of treatment which I am now on. Such excellent health care is life-changing, and should never be taken for granted.