'I was diagnosed with life-changing kidney condition through the NHS app'

Lucy Bradley then spent days waiting to speak to a doctor

- REBECCA THOMAS

When Lucy Bradley logged on to her NHS app to find out the results of her latest blood test, she didn't expect to learn that she was suffering from a life-changing kidney condition.

The 29-year-old was alone at her home in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, when she read on the app that she had stage 3 kidney disease - a condition she didn't even know she was being tested for.

Ms Bradley, who had recently had a baby, had gone for blood checks after feeling tired and unwell. When she was found to be anaemic, her GP told her she would need a repeat test to double-check her kidney function. It was only when she went to check the result that she saw the diagnosis.

"It made my heart sink," she told The Independent. "It shouldn't just flash up on the app. No one should be directed to the app for things like this."

She added: "In this modern society, we're dealing more with automated messages, but when you're dealing with something so personal, it really did feel dehumanising."

Stage 3 kidney disease means a patient has a mild to moderate loss of kidney function, with an increased risk of heart disease. But with no information about what the diagnosis meant, Ms Bradley was left in limbo for a week until she could speak to a medical professional.

"It was the fear of the unknown,” she said. “I'm finding out about a condition I didn't even know existed. There were no channels or anyone to go to at the time."

Ms Bradley arranged a face-to-face appointment with her GP, who she said initially told her it was "nothing to worry about". Still concerned, she pushed for another appointment and was referred to a specialist kidney service.