My Doctors' surgery is useless! Nothing new there...

It’s worth knowing where the nearest good walk in centre is. We have a very good one in a nearby town but easy to get to on quiet roads. It closed down as a walk in centre but I was told that it had re opened again. I stopped off at a place called M2 medical to ask directions on Sunday. It’s nurse practitioner led and you can get an instant appointment at a small cost. I can’t believe that people are needing to pay to get seen quicker. I’m going to try to get an appointment at my surgery tomorrow which will be interesting. I haven’t had any health checks for years and I want an MOT,

Aely - really sorry to hear about your health issues.
If I were you, I would change surgeries. The previous ‘sepsis’ incident would have been enough for me.
How are you managing to change the dressing ?
Shocking service from your Surgery !!

Ring 111, they do not have to see the wound to get you access, if necessary, to further help. Be sure to tell them you've had sepsis in the past. I would say post op infection is an emergency especially with a history if sepsis.

Definitely contact 111. Don’t delay.

Sadly this seems to be par for the course with the NHS now. Been with our practice 4 years now and you’re more likely to see a unicorn prowling the corridors than an actual doctor. Just had a hysterectomy done privately as I was told there was a year’s wait at our local hospital. Resent spending our savings on private medicine but it’s not a good time to be entering old age at the moment

I’d get your pharmacist to take a look, they often have a ‘hotline’ to further services.

Aely I'd ring the Minor Ops Department and try to get an appointment there. DH had one removed at Dermatology and the nurse at the surgery took out the stitches but some remained and the wound became messy and opened up again. Another nurse practitioner cleaned and dressed it daily, the knot left from the stitches came out and it healed up nicely after that.

It's impossible to see your own back properly and perhaps it might be an idea to leave off your bra until it heals or just wear a soft pull-on one.

Our surgery is fantastic you don’t have to phone you can send an email explanation a photo if you can get someone to take one and a Doctor rings you back within a couple of hours and decides if you need further treatment or
Alternatively
Go to you local pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to have a look they will pull up all your details on the computer and treat as appropriate or advise where to go

I had a similar problem years ago when I developed an absess on my back.
I had it lanced on a hospital ward and then had it packed and re-dressed by my local clinic. I don't think I even saw a GP.
I agree with others you seem very badly served in your community. I hope you get it sorted and once you're better have words with your MP- I'm sure you won't be the first.

We are lucky someone will always see or phone you same day, they are just reorganizing health checks to coincide with
birthday.
You might not always get what you want but they will always respond

It wouldn't be a practice nurse that deals with that in my area...would be the community treatment rooms....what did your aftercare leaflet say?

111 is OK in my experience. If there is something that needs seeing they will organise this - possibly via your surgery or some other centre. They can jump the system a bit I think where it is something that needs speedy action. On one occasion they made me an appointment - yes, an appointment! - for A&E!!

Our surgery's pretty good.
They don't do health checks any more though, I know a lot of surgeries still do.
But you can usually get a phonecall from a doctor that day if you think you need it.

LOUISA1523

It wouldn't be a practice nurse that deals with that in my area...would be the community treatment rooms....what did your aftercare leaflet say?

It depends on area.

There is no such thing as community treatment rooms here. Our GP practice nurses would follow up or, if the patient was unable to leave the house, then the district nurses would call until the patient was able to attend the surgery.

I don’t know if anyone has suggested it , but could you ask your local pharmacist to have a look at it ? He/she would be able to tell you if it’s looking normal or if it might be infected , in which case you would be able to see your doctor .

What is a Community Treatment Room? I have never heard of that. I did decide to change to a different surgery about 3 years ago. There were two possibilities, on the bus route and quite close together. Right at that time, one of the possibilities moved across town, not on the bus route and, I think, became Private. The other possibility was immediately flooded out with the patients of the closed practice. Their books were full.

I asked for advice at my local Pharmacy last week but they didn't even look at it. I'm not sure if the actual Pharmacist was there. They would not have my records, apart from the Prescribed inhaler I use, which they handle for me. Even they are sometimes tearing their hair out at the bad service. Prescription renewals not delivered in time even with a week's notice.

The gunge on the dressing is less today, although there is still fresh bleeding. I don't think it is infected (no smell). I'll give the Doctors one more chance and then contact Minor Ops if no help. I tried a different "home made" dressing last time, half a giant breathable plaster with a double layer of gauze to increase the "wound cover" area (don't want to stick it to the wound!) and a smear of Savlon. I did the same today.

To get the dressing on, I stand a bit up my stairs, twist so I can just see the area in the hall mirror looking under my arm and, at full stretch, attempt to make the dressing hit the right area, using the handle of a hairbrush to push down the sticky bit on the far side if it doesn't "catch" by itself. Getting it off can be awkward as well.

Speak to 111. They are obliged to help and may well be your way through. I’ve found the useful.

Our surgery is hit and miss- depends who you get, but im sick of getting different docs etc who keep telling me i recently had a heart attack (was proven i hadnt, by angiogram)and then them trying to give me treatment which coincides with that, and not my actual heart/syndrome problem.

If you ask at drs to arrange community nurse visits, they can arrange daily visits if needed- but make sure they do visit often, my first nurse slapped a waterproof dressing on & came back after a wk, by which time my drain wound was infected & then i needed strong antibiotics!

A walk- in centre is quicker though.

I'd get your wound seen by a doctor if possible, Aely. If you think it's serious enough or aren't sure, it's always better to insist on seeing a doctor.

Thisismyname I did suggest a visit to the pharmacy they are very good in my area and will either help directly or sort out what is needed

My surgery is generally pretty good but they are often changing the systems (presumably to save money) and when it doesn't work they change back again. We do have a superb local drop-in centre evenings and weekends but word has got round about it and there is now often a wait.

DH has been attended frequently by the nurses for a leg ulcer, his care has been first-rate.

Hope you have some better luck.

In my experience dialling 111 is useless. They don’t get back to you.