PATIENTS with potentially fatal heart conditions are petitioning the Scottish parliament for the right to medicate themselves.

Mary Hemphill and Ian Reid, who both suffer from congenital cardiac disorders, have submitted their petition at Holyrood calling for a nationwide service on behalf of the 74,000 patients who take blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

They want patients to be able to be able to test their blood at home and adjust drug dosages using a portable device. They claim that recent studies have shown that more regular self-testing could reduce the risk of strokes and save the NHS money.

At the moment, patients must visit their GP or go to hospital to submit a blood sample, with the results analysed by a doctor who decides whether to raise or lower the dosage.

Mrs Hemphill, 40, a bank team manager from Glasgow, has been fitted with two mechanical heart valves and requires anticoagulants to avoid blood clots. She said diabetes patients were once reliant on similar NHS testing but were now able to manage their condition themselves.

She said: "Many Warfarin patients are independent, working people, perfectly able to self-test and feel they deserve the same right to manage their condition, regardless of their age.

"This could save the NHS a significant amount of money and provide a great opportunity to improve the lives of thousands of Scots. If I didn't feel I could do it safely then I wouldn't do it."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: "The decision to self-manage or self-test during anticoagulation therapy would be taken following discussion between the patient and clinician.

"The evidence suggests there would be a very small number of patients who would qualify for self-management and, as such, the Scottish government does not feel the implementation of a national service delivery model would be justified."