What do I do now: health care professional advice please

[Coldemort]

I had surgery yesterday on a large abscess on my groin. It's an open wound that needs daily packing/dressing.

I cant get an appointment for tomorrow. GP surgery is shut, out of hours don't have any appointments, my nearest walkin centre is about 15 miles away and they wont take appointments or guarantee I can be seen. I cant sit for long periods of time. GPs said only options left are to do it myself/get family member to do it, or go to A&E but my local A&E is on red alert so could be waiting up to 9 hours.

I've an appointment for sunday, this would be 50 hours between today's dressing change and then.

Due to location I cant really do it myself so would need to ask family member, but I'm really not sure asking a non professional to do the packing, especially as I'm only just out of surgery. So options are:

1. just leave it 50 hours without change
2. change the dressing but leave the existing packing in
3. ask my mum to see what she can do and try and pack it.

I've got all the 'equipment' I'm just worried if the packing isn't done properly I'm opening myself up to infection risk, or even affecting how it will heal.

I think I'm tempted to just leave it till sunday, but it's still very leaky/bloody.

Any advise please? I'm getting myself a wee bit worked up over it.

Walk in centre is over 10 miles away and wont take appointments. I cant drive so it's either 1hour 30mins on public transport or getting a lift which I wouldn't feel great about doing and wiping out someone's saturday. They've said they're extremely busy and cant guaranteed I'd get seen, and I cant really sit properly due to its positioning on my groin. I don't think the travel and then possibly hours on a plastic chair is doable unfortunately

I feel for the staff, I really do and I know they cant magic appointments from no-where.
But it's very frustrating when you see all the leaflets on infection and septicaemia, then cant get an appointment to change a dressing. Its surely much cheaper for the NHS to employ more staff and free up appointments than potentially treat someone with a severe infection. Not to mention the knock on effects of that person not being able to work etc.
Anyway, I digress lol

Honestly, try the district nurses and ask if they have any local treatment rooms for non house bound patients. They run clinics every day (including weekends) round here where they deal with things like wound packing.

The ward should have arranged follow up before you were discharged, but remiss of them to tell you to sort it yourself.
Did you get through to anyone on the ward?

I've left a voice message with the ward, hopefully they'll call back

im not a HCP, but I've seen what can happen with serious soft-tissue infection. that is the real risk I think, above awkward position or even pain, esp as you are not on antibx. that seems remiss too; often given as a precaution in these situations. even my dentist gave me antibx after extraction, just in case.
you need to have the wound properly dressed by a nurse. if I were you I would go v early, try to be first in, at walk-in centre, tomorrow morning. can you pay for a mini-cab to get there. don't go on public transport. maybe can someone give you a lift back. it is a priority. you may be able to get antibx too.
once it has been dressed, then you can ask them what they suggest for you going on in the future. good luck. don't let anyone else/ yourself fiddle with it.

Theres no point getting cross with the GP for not giving an appointment on a Saturday or Sunday if they are not open ?? They wont have any to give -they aren't being difficult !! Its the out of hours service providers that aren't playing ball...
..

As others have said, if you're mobile the district nurses will not visit you at home.

As alexdgr8 suggested: be at the walk-in centre when it opens tomorrow so that you are seen & hopefully the wait will not be too long. Take painkillers before you leave home, the first few days of dressing changes can be very uncomfortable

Surgical nurse having packed many wounds like yours...
You can call the surgical ward through switchboard, the number will be easily googleable.
It need to be done every day but not by yourself. You are not training in wound assessment, management, or aseptic techniques.
I'd have insisted on speaking with GP surgery manager to find a practice nurse. Failing that a GP could do it if they've got the right experience. Or the ward (but not answerphone), there'll be an alternative number to call, or even get switch to bleep on call duty manager to sort this through their A&E or something.
Or if you live near me I'll happily do it for you, though you still have the same problem if there's a problem with the wound(am sure there won't be but just saying!

Did you have day surgery? Just wondered with you saying the ward was an answer machine?
If so you need to ring the general surgical ward at the attached hospital, they may squeeze you in as a ward attender.

Yes, it was day surgery.
I'm North West @NeighbourProblems lol

Oh that's a shame. I'm not!

I'm a district nurse, we run afternoon clinics for practice nurse patients on weekends. Contact your local team. You may have to wait until tomorrow now though.

If you're concerned and you need medical treatment then call 111

NW here too!

@ClientListQueen a little snoop tells me you're Preston.
Afraid I'm a Chester southerner

My ds has recently had a pilonidal abscess on his bum drained and had the same problem with it needing packing but the ward arranged for a district nurse to come out the first few days then he went to GP surgery and the local walk in centre had provision for weekend dressing clinics and over Christmas. I'm sure there must be some provision. the ward should have arranged follow up. Do not get a family member to do it. I was willing to do my son's but was a RN until very recently . A surgical wound needs dressing aseptically by someone who knows what they are doing.

Interesting, where are you based @Tiredmum100 ?

@Rosebud21 south west Wales. We have been doing it for about 2 years, between 1 pm and 2.30.

@Tiredmum100, I'm in London, GPN or WIC do the post I&D dressings here, very occasionally the surgical ward at weekends, thanks