IWL, Lanarkshire

Having gone to the doctors with what I thought was an infection in my chest causing me to cough and become light headed at times, I was surprised by the results of my initial investigation. Things were far from what had been expected.

My GP referred me to Dr L G McAlpine, Consultant Respiratory Physician. We met initially at a private hospital (Ross Hall). From the very first consultation, Dr McAlpine was very thorough in his history taking and laid out clearly the list of possible causes of my unusual condition and the plan to investigate the cause/s. The list was long and somewhat “scary”. Dr McAlpine’s manner and way of explaining things did settle my nerves and made me confident that I was being taken seriously. Sadly, not always the case with some doctors in the past.

As the investigation progressed the findings got even more worrying, not just for me but for my wife. Again, Dr McAlpine’s way of explaining, and showing me the test results in detail, while frightening, were also fascinating. This made me feel fully included in the process. His willingness to discuss my case with several other consultants also showed me he was doing all he could to get the diagnosis.

These discussions, and knowledge that he was going the extra mile to help me, significantly reduced the stress I was under – a factor that I think is not considered by many in the profession perhaps.

I can strongly recommend Dr McAlpine to anyone with unusual respiratory problems.

[Footnote: a rare infection was diagnosed eventually and treated successfully]

IWL, BVMS MRCVS
Veterinary Physician, Lanarkshire