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"Implant removal"

About: Locala Community Partnerships CIC / Bradford Sexual Health

(as the patient),

I rang up my GP yesterday to enquire about getting my implant removed to be told they no longer have anything do with sexual health services and to ring locala. So I did and I was told I could either make an appointment or go to the walk in clinic the next day. Luckily, that was my only child free day off for several weeks so I drove the 15 minutes to the walk in clinic since locala have taken over all sexual health services meaning all the ones local to me have been closed.

At the walk in I filled in my form, circled the "remove implant" option and sat for 10 minutes. While I was waiting I heard myself being discussed "she's only had it in a year! " "But what if I can't find it? ". Slightly concerning, but I wasn't worried as I can see my implant still just under the skin. Suddenly a horribly patronising member of staff comes to talk to me and tells me that due to staff sickness no one will be taking my implant out today, but if I got it done at my GPs they wouldn't be able to take it out for me anyway, it would have to be at the GPs. Which is incorrect according to my GP. But they can give me an appointment for a weeks time, which is no good for me due to work/childcare.

Later that morning I looked on the locala website and see there is another walk in clinic in the afternoon, so I rang up to make sure there will be someone there to remove my implant. The woman on the phone tells me the clinic isn't on and that they have had an email round to say they can't remove implants anymore in walk in clinics.

1. Why are your staff not sufficiently trained to do the job they're supposed to do?

2. I'm disgusted that I've been messed around so much, given incorrect information etc. I'm just glad that I called up before I went to the afternoon walk in as there was no indication it was cancelled on the website.

3. Why are you changing policy in the middle of the day? It just doesn't make sense.

4. Why have you made it so difficult for women to access the care that they need? I have basically been left with a foreign body in my arm that needs removing, but it seems nobody is available/willing to do it!

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Responses

Response from Sarah True, Customer Engagement Manager, Locala Community Partnerships 7 years ago
Sarah True
Customer Engagement Manager,
Locala Community Partnerships
Submitted on 18/08/2016 at 17:38
Published on Care Opinion on 19/08/2016 at 09:21


Dear Stmwh

I am sorry you have had an unsatisfactory experience at our clinic in Bradford.

I have spoken to the people involved and the nurse you spoke to is very sorry if she appeared uncooperative, that was certainly not her intention.

Some GPs in Bradford do remove implants but unfortunately yours does not. We have a team of people trained to carry out this procedure but sadly on the day you visited due to holiday and sickness we simply had no one on site who could carry out this procedure. It was the same at the drop in centre you called - we simply didn't have enough staff available on that day. Our team did offer various options but none of them were suitable for you.

We are looking at ways to make the process more straight forward.

Once again I apologise we were not able to help you on the day and do hope you call the team again and make an appointment to have the implant removed in the near future.

Best wishes

Sarah

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