Lisa Clift
Thursday 15th October 2015
Lisa Clift is a GP, and attended our check up event at the England vs. Australia one day international in 2015. In this article, she describes how she was 'bowled over' by Heart Valve Voice!
Although I am a regular visitor to Old Trafford Cricket Ground, I have never been there before in my capacity as a doctor.
I was invited by my good friend Ben Bridgewater, Heart Valve Voice [former-]Chairman, to accompany him and a wider team of healthcare professionals, many from the University Hospital of South Manchester to take part in an event for Heart Valve Voice.
The event was held to coincide with the England vs. Australia one day international and cricket fans attending the match were invited to receive a free heart valve check-up to spot signs of heart valve disease.
Heart valve disease is a condition that affects approx. one million people in the UK and is most common in people over the age of 65. The symptoms – such as breathlessness, tiredness and chest pains – are often mistakenly dismissed as signs of older age and therefore heart valve disease goes undetected.
The check-up involved a consultation with a GP including listening to the heart with a stethoscope and where required an echocardiogram was done by an expert. In total, around 40 members of the public were checked and many more left the cricket match with information on the charity and heart valve disease. It was great to have the support of many cricket legends, including David ’Bumble’ Lloyd, Geoffrey Boycott and David Gower, who were all checked. Others including Michael Holding and Ian Botham gave their voices in support for the charity.
Heart Valve Voice encourages members of the public to be more aware of the symptoms of heart valve disease and to seek medical advice if needed. If left untreated, the prognosis for someone with heart valve disease is poor, which is why early detection and treatment is important.
The charity has a simple motto: ‘the more we listen, the more lives we save’. If you think that you may be experiencing the symptoms of heart valve disease, please visit your GP and ask them to listen to your heart with a stethoscope.
On behalf of the check-up team, I would like to thank Lancashire County Cricket Club Foundation for their support and enthusiasm to ensure the event was a great success.
