Should the GP not have been able to do this?

[ohthatbloodycat]

This strikes me as a bit ridiculous, but do correct me if you feel I'm in the wrong.
My 15 year old got her ears pierced as a birthday treat a week ago. I think the earring on one side had been fitted a bit too tightly; it had always been tender, but got sore last night. My plan had been to go to the piercing place in the morning to ask their advice.
This morning when my daughter woke up, the stud part at the front had completely embedded itself in her lobe. All you could see was the butterfly sticking out the back. Her ear became swollen and very painful, unsurprisingly enough. I should add that she cleaned them each day religiously, and the other ear was fine.
Because the skin had closed over it in the night, I wasn't able to pull it out myself. I phoned our GP surgery for some advice. The receptionist checked and then came back to say that the GP wouldn't do it, and the practice nurse was busy all day. I then had the faff of phoning 111 (on GP's advice) and they eventually sorted me out an appointment at the A&E hospital miles away. There was no time to take the bus (I don't have a car currently), so I spent £20 on a taxi there. And then the bus on the way home. My daughter wasn't numbed up, or anything like that. The nurse warned her that it would be painful, as he pulled the stud through the skin of her ear. And it was, but over quickly thankfully!
This seemed like a palaver for a simple procedure, that surely the GP could have carried out. Rather than leave the paediatric A&E department to sort it out, particularly as Covid cases have risen in my city.
Even the NHS phone operator sounded surprised that they had refused to do it.
AIBU?

My GP wouldn't remove my contraceptive implant.. So I'm not surprised they didn't do this. You did the right thing going to the hospital.

@ohthatbloodycat

Thanks for the latest, slightly less batshit responses. I don't mind being told I'm in the wrong, but to be accused of not trying the piercer first is beyond the pale really.

Beyond the pale 😂😂😂 definitely went to the piercer but wouldn't wait for the bus 😂

Nhs own website say to call the dr for an urgent gp .

The GPs office should have a nurse that can deal with minor injuries rather than fill up a&e.

think you got a contrary pile on group op

The training that Superdrug/ Claire's etc give is minimal. Proper piercing studios are much better and should support on aftercare too if you have any issues.

Does your GP do things like minor wound dressing? If so, this does seem like something they could have dealt with tbh.

‘My plan had been to go to the piercing place in the morning to ask their advice.‘

Does make it sound like that’s not what you did to be fair.

If it was Claire's, understandable. I'm guessing things haven't changed too much... It used to be a real luck of the draw as to whether the customer got someone with a natural eye for doing it straight (and with a care for hygiene) or not. Luckily for my customers I was incredibly OCD about it (especially being young and nervous) and made sure I did the holes straight and right in the middle (not facing the head so hoops went diagonal etc!). But my manager used to use the same gloves every time and just not care about hygiene - quick wipe and that was it.

@Summersun2020

Claire accessories then? Not a piercer, a teenager on minimum wage who has done 2 hours training and using a gun known to cause problems. Lesson learned I guess.

My flatmate at uni got fired for refusing to pierce a 6 month old babys ears. They were given a cardboard ear and each other to practice on.... (this was early noughties so hope its changed!)

@Lougle

I took my DD to A&E with the same issue. I had tried to release it but just couldn't get hold of it. The A&E nurse had acrylic nails and dug it out 🤢

Seriously? That's disgusting. I'm an HCA and starting a Nursing degree this Sept, and where I live, anyone in a role where they will be putting hands on a patient is not allowed to have acrylics, nail polish, basically anything on their nails at all when on duty, as it's so very unhygienic.

maddening
That's if it's infected though, not if it's stuck and the skin has grown over it. I'd have expected a stuck piercing in a swollen ear that's healed over to be a call to 111 and then to minor injuries.

It's another reason why people should go to proper piercing specialists instead of high street chain stores who'll stick a gun to anyone's ear.

Piercers won't give medical advice- they refused to even look at my infected piercing many moons ago. So did the pharmacy, so I had to go to the GP (who told me to use salt water and that I didn't need antibiotics)
I doubt a piercer- unless a really professional, non chain person- would remove the earring because of infection risk.
Since OP was told to go to A+E, I don't know why people are telling her she was wrong!

YABU

Also, please never go to Superdrug, Claire's, anywhere like that for a piercing. Do loads of research and find a really good, reputable body piercer with loads of experience. Preferably one who will only do needle piercings.

Was it a gun or a needle?

Yes we did used to practice on eachother! Circa 2000-2002. Things probably quite a bit more laid back then

Also agree, piercing should not be with stud earrings and should be done with a needle in a proper piercing place- but too late for OP!

@Pebbledashery

My GP wouldn't remove my contraceptive implant.. So I'm not surprised they didn't do this. You did the right thing going to the hospital.

The two aren’t remotely comparable. What a bloody waste of NHS time.

@ohthatbloodycat

You say your plan was to go the the ear piercing place, then you say you did go?

So not sure why you're getting upset with people asking?

Anyway, you could've done it yourself.

True, FlyingBattie, and I wasn't meaning to have a go at the OP. Just hopeful that it might steer anyone else reading this away from gun piercings.

From a professional point of view please don't ever visit claires/superdrug or get pierced with a gun.

Experienced piercers will give aftercare advise however I will not touch an embedded or infected piercing done elsewhere as it then becomes my issue and liability. A true piercing professional in this instance would have suggested you contact your gp.

For future reference professionals won't use butterfly style earrings as they're notorious for this sort of thing.

You can find your local verified piercer on the safe piercing member locator.

@Summersun2020 “an already stretched GP”... are you a comedian? GP’s surgeries are barely open, they have never been less stretched.
Some of them even have time to develop lucrative side-hustles, like Dr Julia Grace, who is busy designing and flogging face masks.
Ain’t life grand!

@ohthatbloodycat

I did, so please read the full thread. The piercer (a well known, national one) refused to sort it.

Care to name and shame?

Not the same thing but years ago my son got part of a drinking straw stuck up his nose at his nursery. I rang the GP and they said go to A&E so we did and they got it out very easily but I couldn't have done it and the staff at the nursery didn't try either.

Sometimes things just need experienced professionals. I can't see why so many respondents are bitching at the OP here.

The GP probably wouldn't accept this as a same day urgent appointment. There's likely hundreds of people waiting when the lines open to get an appointment that day. Dodgy piercing isn't going to be top of that list.

She was seen. Its been sorted. A routine appointment probably could have been booked, but not same day.

@Tattle2222

Yes we did used to practice on eachother! Circa 2000-2002. Things probably quite a bit more laid back then

Them were the days!!

Basically, regardless of how the situation came about, it needed resolving, and I would have thought if the piercer wouldn't help, and the op couldn't do it, the gp would be the sensible next step.