West Lothian woman living in fear of covid as she warns 'I'm the only one masking'
A West Lothian woman living with an autoimmune condition is calling for hospitals to be made safer for clinically vulnerable and immunosuppressed patients.
Heather Pentler, 40, has Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), a disorder of the immune system that causes an increased risk of blood clots.
She was diagnosed at 27-years-old and has been undergoing long-term treatment for 13 years.
The 40-year-old is now urging the public to to support a petition calling for new measures to protect vulnerable patients from airborne infections in healthcare settings.
People with APS are at greater risk of developing conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that usually develops in the leg, arterial thrombosis (a clot in an artery), which can cause a stroke or heart attack and blood clots in the brain, leading to problems with balance, mobility, vision, speech and memory.
Heather said: "Having APS puts me at increased risk of blood clots.
'Covid-19 is linked to clotting events so contracting covid is a particular risk to me with my condition. Unfortunately, the place where I am most likely to catch covid is when I attend medical appointments.
'The most unsafe day I have to go through is when I'm supposed to be getting the care and treatment to keep me safe in hospital.
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'When I go to get the infusion of my immunosuppressive treatment, I am on the ward for around six hours. I am the only one masking and there are no air filters to remove any airborne viruses from the air. This makes it very difficult for me to eat or drink during those six hours.
'I have to take my own personal air filtration system with me, so that I can have a drink during those six hours and try to remain safe from infection while doing so.'
The petition, started by Janet Newsham, Chair of UK Hazards Campaign, is calling for a precautionary approach using infection prevention and control measures to protect all patients and NHS staff, but particularly those patients like Heather, who are at greater risk from infection.
In the first few months of 2025, the UK was gripped by a 'quaddemic' of flu, covid, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Many hospital trusts across the country declared critical incidents, asking people to stay away from A&E units for non-urgent treatment and asking them not to visit if they had symptoms of viral illness and to mask if they did have to come to the hospital.
Covid remains a threat all year round compared to the flu and RSV which are mainly seasonal.
'I don't have the confidence to ask medical staff to mask for me,' said Heather.
'I believe that mirroring (medical staff asking a masked patient if they would like them to wear a mask too) would be a good option. But I have never had a doctor offer to wear a mask when they are with me.
'However, air filters would be the best solution going forward. Air filters can clean the air of many airborne viruses, including covid and flu, so therefore would benefit all patients and help to avoid sickness for NHS staff too.'
In recent months, evidence given at the Covid Inquiry has questioned why the government's messaging on how Covid spreads, has focused strongly on hand-washing and wiping surfaces, rather than delivering the correct information that Covid-19 is primarily an airborne virus (aerosol spread).
In 2025 mask wearing for healthcare workers is currently not mandatory and guidelines tend to vary between Hospital Trusts around the UK. Seasonal stresses such as the winter crisis experienced this year, can also affect masking recommendations.
Air filtration machines were placed in Covid wards and the air quality analysed with the machines switched on for a week, off for a week, and then on for another week.
The team found that with the machines on, it removed almost all traces of airborne SARS-CoV-2.
Janet Newsham said: 'There are many airborne risks especially in healthcare which are ongoing and should and can be prevented, reducing the risks for patients, visitors and staff.
'HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters can help to clean the air on wards and in high risk areas.
'The UK Government and Parliament petition calling for these measures is one way that the public can let the government know that they want to be protected from airborne infections, while accessing healthcare.'
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