Claire helps save customer's life by urging her to go to hospital after spotting blood clot

Regular Asda Ramsgate customer Rose Doyle says pharmacy colleague Claire Twyman may have saved her life by spotting a blood clot on her leg and insisting that she went straight to A&E.

Rose, who's 75, spent five days in Margate Hospital and, as soon as she was well enough, called in at the store to thank Claire for her quick-thinking actions.

She handed her a thank-you note which read: "Thank you for making me go to A&E. You may have saved my life, so thank you once again I am really grateful."

Forty-six-year-old Claire, who has worked at the store for nine years, said: "Rose is well known in the store and I used to talk to her a lot when I was on checkouts. She's a lovely lady and everyone knows her in here.

"I was just happy that I was able to help her and give her that advice, which made a difference. It could have been a lot worse if she'd left it. I'm so glad she's okay.

"Rose came over to the pharmacy for advice on her leg. I looked down and told her it was really swollen, and then asked to look at her foot. I thought straightaway that it was a thrombosis, a blood clot. Her toes were very white, but I didn't want to alarm her.

"I said that she really needed to get it checked out straight away and she kept saying 'It'll be alright', but I made her promise me that she would go which, thankfully, she did.

"It was a very severe blood clot and they kept her in for five days while she received treatment."

Rose, who lives in Ramsgate, said: "I can't thank Claire enough for recognising what it was. She said that if I didn't go to A&E myself she would have taken me.

"The hospital gave me medication and injections for the thrombosis. If I hadn't gone when I did I could have have had a stroke or worse."

Rose has been a regular customer at our Ramsgate store for years. She said: "It's such a welcoming store, and everyone is so friendly."

The store's deputy manager Bob Ellender, who nominated Claire for an Asda customer service award, said the whole store was proud of her.

He said: "If Rose hadn’t have attended the hospital when she did she could have died. Well done Claire, you are a true superstar."