Allegra Stratton looks at the possible side effects of the combined pill and explains the need for greater awareness:
You’ve been getting some reaction from the powers that be to your report yeah we’ve spoken in the last hour to the royal college of gps and they have told us they will be taking action in light of the inquest and the findings recently the royal college gps will certainly be reminding all our members but this is an important issue that we should be raising with any
Woman who’s starting a new contraceptive and also reminding them about all the resources available to help them should they wish it so that’s good news but i don’t think it’s about just training they do have training and they should be aware already we’ve also spoken to a professor of surgery at manchester university keith believes it’s not just about training it’s
Also about treating these symptoms when young women come in treating them seriously is it also possible that familiarity breeds contempt that gps have kind of lived with this for so long now that they’re forgetting to look for those key tests i think what it is with the contraceptive pill particularly especially in your report we saw these young women they’re very
Young they’re very healthy they don’t look like people who could possibly be unwell and so many millions of women in this country are on the pill so it’s hard to imagine even as a doctor in an a&e that they could suddenly be having a pulmonary embolism and very often it’s odd because these doctors are the very same people that have given the young women the
Pill because they’re very often the family doctor i mean what it’s very important to say this isn’t about the contraceptive pill it is a very safe form of contraception this is about spotting the side effects that we’re looking at those side effects early could probably go through them much better than i can but all of these girls i mean sophie went four times to
Her doctor before dying maria santa went four times falen couric was told she was having a panic attack and a few days later she died in her mum’s arms so all of these things should be discussed as well if the royal college you do if they’re going to put out this notice is it a reminder of existing sound instructions or is it a fresh look at instructions that are
Acquired yeah it’s a fresh look i mean any nurse any gp any doctor prescribing the pill should be talking to the women whether they’re 18 or whether they’re 38 about blood clots about breast cancer about blood pressure about smoking that’s why we have pill checks i think it’s become a very routine a very familiar consultation it’s become a very quick consultation
But the discussions have to be had and the other thing i want to do because fake will be listening to this conversation allegra’s report we are talk is a total tragedy we’re talking about four incidences in the last twelve months that’s pretty high it is pretty high but the absolute risk of having a blood clot when along the contraceptive is absolutely tiny millions
Of women in this country are prescribed a that contraceptive pill every year and you’re talking about maybe a handful 10 12 15 who get a bunch of drunk-ass it’s low but it is there okay fine thank you both very much the brilliant report allegra thank you and at itv.com forward-slash news we have those important facts about the combined pill and deep vein thrombosis
And also an nhs tool where you can check your potential risk
Transcribed from video
Why there needs to be awareness of the pill side effects By ITV News