Cost excuse the last straw as dad ends his 22-year campaign to raise awareness of deep vein thrombosis

A father who spent 22 years battling to raise awareness of the deep vein thrombosis that claimed his daughter’s life is giving up his fight in disgust at the Scottish Government.

Gordon McPherson says he can “no longer keep banging my head against a wall when the government refuses to listen”.

Gordon used the anger he felt when his daughter Katie died needlessly from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at the age of just 23 to make sure doctors and the ­public were made aware of the silent killer, which claims 11,400 lives in Scotland every year.

Since then he has tirelessly lobbied the Scottish Government to better inform the public about the dangers of DVT, helped trainee nurses better understand the condition, sat as a lay member of the bodies that set out healthcare guidelines in Scotland and England, and been an ambassador for the World Thrombosis Steering Group.

© Andrew Cawley

He said: “Katie should never have died. It was such a waste of a young life. I used the anger I felt at losing her to bring as much awareness as I could about deep vein thrombosis.

“This is a condition which can kill anyone, no matter their age, and it can happen so very quickly.

“I felt that at least if doctors and the public were more aware of what to look out for then we could save lives.

“But after 22 years of banging on doors and trying to get the government to do the very bare minimum of just letting people know about the danger they face, I’m so sickened and defeated by the Scottish Government’s lack of action that I have to step away for the sake of my sanity.

“The final straw was them saying the cost of a public awareness campaign is not justified.

“How could they even think of using the trivial cost of making the public aware so they can save their own lives as a reason to continue doing virtually nothing when thousands are dying every year? That was the end for me.”

Gordon and his wife Jane, both 70, were determined to do what they could to save other families from the trauma of losing loved ones to DVT.

Their daughter Katie, who was training to be an occupational therapist, had seen doctors at two hospitals but they dismissed concerns and sent her home with paracetamol. Within days, she was dead.

© Supplied

Jane, from Langbank, Renfrewshire, said: “I blamed myself because I remember saying to Katie when we left the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley that the doctors knew best.

“Actually, they didn’t.

“They all failed to spot that she was suffering from DVT and that cost her life.

“We felt it was unforgivable, and we were horrified when we discovered that the lack of knowledge about this condition was frightening.

“Not only was it clear ­doctors needed to learn more, but the public were also woefully ­unaware of the signs despite the condition taking thousands of lives every year.”

But, while countries like Ireland have distributed cards with all the warning signs, Gordon says the Scottish Government has done very little to ensure the public know the facts.

He said: “It’s shameful really. If the public don’t know what to look for, how can they tell their doctor what is really wrong with them?

“While doctors are now more aware of what to look for because they now have updated guidance to work from, the public remain largely in the dark.

“I thought the card system Ireland adopted was so simple and effective – I worked out it would cost just £300,000 to get one printed for every single person in Scotland.

“How little is that to save just one life, never mind many lives?”

The simple card issued by Thrombosis Ireland lists all the signs and risk factors.

Up to 60% of blood clots happen while a patient is in hospital, and patients are more at risk up to 90 days after going home.

There can be genetic risks, if you are on the pill or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), are over 60, overweight, if you sit for long periods of time, or have been in bed for three days or more.

Having cancer also increases the risk of DVT. The symptoms include breathlessness, swelling or pain in a leg or arm, chest pain and coughing up blood.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guidance to doctors on thrombosis two years ago.

Gordon launched a petition, but the Public Petitions Committee closed it last week after SNP MSP David Torrance said the “Scottish Government have determined that the cost of a public awareness campaign on thrombosis is not justified at this time”.

Scottish Conservative MSP Miles Briggs said: “It’s heartbreaking to hear this family’s despair that so much more should have been achieved.”

Scottish Labour health spokesperson Dame Jackie Baillie said: “With thousands of Scots dying from thrombosis every year, this is an incredibly important campaign – but the SNP isn’t listening.

“It is appalling that the SNP government has failed to step up and deliver meaningful action to improve awareness.”

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “I thank Mr McPherson for his campaigning on this important issue.

“His efforts led to the Scottish Government engaging with Thrombosis UK and we have recently endorsed its patient advice leaflets which will provide information on the potential risk of thrombosis.”