DVT diagnosis failure criticised

Katie McPherson died from DVT

Hospitals are failing to properly diagnose patients with potentially fatal deep vein thrombosis, according to a public service watchdog.

A report by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman looked at a number of cases, including the death of Katie McPherson from Langbank, Renfrewshire.

The 23-year-old student died in 2003 after being misdiagnosed by her GP and at two hospitals.

Her mother Jane McPherson said she was angry that nobody had listened to her.

Cramped conditions

"Katie was a very articulate, very intelligent, very bright bubbly girl but her confidence was undermined by people saying to her, 'no you don't have these symptoms, you don't have a DVT'," she said.

Deep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in one of the deep veins of the body, usually in the leg.

The condition has often been associated with people sitting in cramped conditions in aircraft.

Katie died nine days after complaining of pains in her leg.

She had attended Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but tested negative for DVT and was sent home with pain killers.

I welcome a national debate around this because it could increase the awareness Roelf Dijkhuizen NHS Grampian

A visit to her GP and then the Royal Alexandria Hospital in Paisley again failed to diagnose the condition.

Both NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have acknowledged their shortcomings and accepted the recommendations.

The ombudsman also criticised Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin for a separate case involving an elderly woman who died of DVT.

In this case there was also a failure to diagnose the condition.

NHS Grampian has apologised to the unnamed woman's family.

The board's medical director Roelf Dijkhuizen said diagnosis of DVT is difficult.

He said: "I actually welcome a national debate around this because it could increase the awareness, not only of clinicians, but also of patients of the symptoms and signs of deep vein thrombosis so we can all be aware of the possibility of this serious illness."

The Scottish Executive said the wider lessons of both cases will be drawn to the attention of all health boards.