Death from blood clots on way down

Measures such as ensuring all post-operative patients are given blood thinning drugs and the implementation of a seven-day-a-week Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) clinic are thought to be responsible for the declining figures.

From April, 2003, to March, 2004, 16.3 per cent of deaths at the hospital were as a result of a blood clot.

From April 2004 to January this year, the figure stands at 9.7pc. The improved figure is expected to be maintained when the February and March statistics are released.

Earlier this week, MPs on the Commons Health Committee warned that blood clots were killing 25,000 people a year across the country.

It described the total as "alarmingly high" and said it was 25 times the number of deaths from the MRSA hospital superbug.

Blood clots form in a vein causing swelling and pain.

An embolism occurs if part or all of the clot breaks off and travels to the heart and lungs, which can cause death.

Patients who have just had surgery are at risk from blood clots and the Commons Health Committee said many hospitals did not give the necessary drugs after surgery.

They recommended all hospital set up specific teams to deal with the dangers of blood clots.

At the Royal Bolton Hospital, all patients are given heparin, which thins the blood to reduce the chances of clots.

The hospital also runs a DVT clinic seven days a week which sees around 30 patients a week. Of these, 17 per cent are actually suffering from DVT.

Dr Jackie Bene, a lead clinician at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said: "The cause of death in many of these patients is not entirely due to DVT or pulmonary emboli because we do see a lot of poorly people.

"We are very much aware of the dangers of DVT and the risk factors. We routinely prescribe heparin in all post-operative patients, and while they are immobile.

"Our outpatient DVT clinic ensures all patients keep taking the drugs until they receive a diagnosis."