Miss A was unhappy with the care and treatment she had received from her GP to remove her contraceptive implant. Miss A was distressed by the experience and she did not want to return to the Practice.
What happened
Miss A asked the GP to remove a contraceptive implant because of her weight gain and irregular bleeding. She went to a double appointment (20 minutes) to have the implant removed from her arm. At that appointment the GP tried unsuccessfully to remove the implant. She tried again and made a further incision in Miss A's arm using additional anaesthetic, but this was also unsuccessful. The unsuccessful procedure caused some bruising and swelling to Miss A's arm. The GP applied Steristrips to the wound and made a further appointment for Miss A to return when the bruising and swelling had settled.
Miss A said the GP had not allowed enough time for the appointment. She said the procedure left her with unnecessary swelling and scars, and that the Steristrips and dressings used on the wound caused an allergic reaction.
What we found
We did not uphold this complaint. The GP acted reasonably in allocating 20 minutes for the procedure. Practice records showed that Miss A had been counselled about the procedure and that she was warned of the risks of scarring beforehand. Records also show that Miss A gave consent for the procedure. The GP acted appropriately in giving an additional anaesthetic injection in an area not covered by the first.
The same dressing had been used at the time of the Miss A's original implant and there was nothing to suggest that Ms A had had a reaction to it at that time.
The Practice accepted that it would be helpful to develop new leaflets with more information about Steristrips, and invited Miss A to contribute towards the content.
A GP practice
South Yorkshire
Did not apologise properly or do enough to put things right
Not applicable