Stitches Removal

mimi1234

Hi all,

Forgive me for asking a really random question on here.  My brother had surgery 2 weeks ago.  They told him to go to the GP to have his stitches removed.  He had an operation on his lower back.  Unfortunately, the GP's are always fully booked and they keep telling him to call back.  We've been calling everyday but they have no spare appointments.  

Can we go to a walk in centre or to A+E maybe for their removal?  I've been on the phone to the walk in centre for a good hour or two today but no one picks up.  I'm wondering if they are really busy or maybe no one mans the phone at the weekend.

Has anyone had this done before?  Where did you go?

Thanks in advance.

MalMonroe

Well, those stitches need to come out. I'd just keep phoning the GP until I could get through to explain the situation and ask someone there what to do as your brother was told to go to his GP's surgery for this to be done. 

If you have no luck there, you may have to phone the hospital and speak to the surgeon or his/her secretary and tell them that your brother is having no luck getting an appointment with the GP and ask what you can do.

mtbbuxton

Give 111 a ring.  They can make appointments for you if necessary (possibly with a District Nurse) or will be able to advise re the walk-in centre.

keithdc

mimi1234 said:

Hi all,

Forgive me for asking a really random question on here.  My brother had surgery 2 weeks ago.  They told him to go to the GP to have his stitches removed.  He had an operation on his lower back.  Unfortunately, the GP's are always fully booked and they keep telling him to call back.  We've been calling everyday but they have no spare appointments.  

Can we go to a walk in centre or to A+E maybe for their removal?  I've been on the phone to the walk in centre for a good hour or two today but no one picks up.  I'm wondering if they are really busy or maybe no one mans the phone at the weekend.

Has anyone had this done before?  Where did you go?

Thanks in advance.

Are you asking for a GP or practice nurse appointment? It is the practice nurse/ healthcare assistant that you need!

Aranyani

He needs the district nursing service for his area, not the GP.   The hospital should have done a referral to them when he was discharged, contact PALS if they haven't. 

A practice nurse will also be able to do it (not a healthcare assistant) if he can get in with one sooner.

kazwookie

When I has to have stitches out of my foot, I was told to ring the GP's and tell the reception that I had a hospital wound that needed to have the stitches taken out, I was offer an appointment that day or one for earlier the next day.

I suggest you keep ringing, or do you have an email address for the GP's ? if so email them

mimi1234

The hospital where he had the surgery told us to contact the GP for the stitches to be removed. We asked for the nurse at the GP but all 3 of them were fully booked for two weeks. 

We also phoned the district nurse but they required a referral from the GP. The GP told us the district nurse should just come out to us hence being so confused. We were going round in circles.

We went to the walk in centre and it's all done now. I do wish they had made it crystal clear. It was a waste of time for us and the staff at the doctors etc.

Thanks everyone.

Aranyani

Definitely contact PALS at tte hospital

Undervalued

mimi1234 said:

The hospital where he had the surgery told us to contact the GP for the stitches to be removed. We asked for the nurse at the GP but all 3 of them were fully booked for two weeks. 

We also phoned the district nurse but they required a referral from the GP. The GP told us the district nurse should just come out to us hence being so confused. We were going round in circles.

We went to the walk in centre and it's all done now. I do wish they had made it crystal clear. It was a waste of time for us and the staff at the doctors etc.

Thanks everyone.

Which rather sums up my impressions of the NHS.

The vast majority of the clinicians and support staff are professional, kind and do their very best. Yet somehow they work in a system that seems chaotic! Somehow it manages to induce lots of stress for patients and their families at a time when they are least able to cope with it.

unforeseen

Aranyani said:

Definitely contact PALS at tte hospital

Why? 

Undervalued

Well if a hospital is discharging patients that will need stitches removing or dressings changed etc, they should surely ensure that there is a workable mechanism in place for this to be done.

Just vaguely telling the patient to "contact their GP" is a bit of a cop out if there is no certainty that the GP has the capacity!

The patient shouldn't really have to hunt around for somebody and be passed from pillar to post.