PATIENTS in County Durham and Darlington are being encouraged to sign up to a new scheme which would allow them to self-test at home.

NHS Health Call, which promotes digital health tools, launched the scheme for people who are taking a blood thinning drug called warfarin.

Usually patients have to attend hospital clinics every two to six weeks so a nurse can test their blood to calculate what dose they should be getting.

In 2014 NICE recommended self-testing should be extended but currently only one per cent of patients do so.

Though 10,000 people in County Durham and Darlington take warfarin, only 350 people have signed up to the digital service.

Derek Jones, from Darlington, has signed up. He said: “If for any reason you can’t commit to the clinic, because you’re working, going away or just want to live a normal life then this service will really help.

“I don’t need to take regular time off work, pay for travel or car park charges at the clinic because I’m able to take my own readings and receive my updated dose when it’s convenient for me, without disrupting my normal routine.”

Since its launch the service has saved 21,000 clinic appointments, the equivalent to a £125,860 saving for the County Durham and Darlington NHS trust in staff time and consumables.