Nurses refusing to do contraceptive injection - trigeminal neuralgia

[Contraceptiveproblem]

I don't know if my name change has worked but if it has and anyone has an issue MN can confirm this is real and I've spoken about my exemption before, I idn't put about face covering exemption in title as I don't want a pile on. I regularly (including throughout lockdown as I cannot switch to the pill due to interaction with meds I'm already on) have the contraceptive injection. I called to book it for next week to be told nurses are refusing to see any patients without a face covering and that it would have to be a doctor - that's fine. I am exempt from wearing a face covering as I have a brain tumor causing severe trigeminal neuralgia so can't have anything touching my face, and cannot wear a shield because I have a scar from brain surgery up the right side of my head which I cannot have any pressure on. I have posted about this on threads before. It's very difficult and I rarely go anywhere that would require one if I don't desperately need to as I know what people think. I've received a phone call this morning from the nurse who advised they won't be doing it. I can't wear any type of face covering even though I would much prefer to. Any pressure on my face or head can cause me to fit, wet myself, at worst and at best leave me in agony in my face and head for days and weeks afterwards. As it happens the meds which mean I can't change my contraceptive are actually the ones that treat the neuralgia so they are fully aware of it, they were my GP throughout my tumor and other diagnosis'. I'm happy for a doctor to do it as was suggested yesterday - but for some reason they told me that and went to speak to their manager to arrange it, but all I have been given is a call back from a nurse to tell me the nurse won't do it. I couldn't actually speak to the nurse as they were busy so they read the notes which said that they won't do it, it wasn't clear if this means the nurses won't (fine) or nobody will (not fine). I have extremely heavy painful periods which made me anemic and faint, and the injection stops them completely which is why I'm on it in the first place as it was the only option that wouldn't be affected by my current meds. Surely they can't refuse me access to care because I am legally exempt? I don't know what I can do about this?

I don’t think this is acceptable at all. There are many NHS & social care staff providing care to people exempt from mask wearing. You do the best you can with your own PPE and get on with it. I work in social care, and was a nurse. And I have provided care to covid positive people who are not wearing masks as they are exempt. And it was the bog standard apron/mask and gloves. I would not have refused to sit and do a crossword with them when they were lonely, let alone refuse medical care they needed.

@TopCatlivedinadustbin

I wouldn't mind self injection but when I asked they said they don't have it/offer it at all. Is that possible or are they fobbing me off? I'm in Yorkshire in case that makes a difference.

It's in the top of your bum not your arm or I'd ask

Sadly definitely can't afraid to pay private and the sexual health clinic I know of wouldn't do it last year, I had an issue getting it in time at the GP as they had no appointments, clinic said no because of my other health issues. I ended up having it late after I ended up in hospital having fainted! I believe they're closed at the minute but if I have no luck with practice manager soon I'll definitely see if I can contact them or find another.

I did misunderstand I thought it was the clinic who had refused. I probably shouldn't have responded.

I'm not going to say anymore as it's obvious what I'm saying is being misconstrued.

I would write a letter to the Ora rice manger and hand it in ASAP. Detail your difficulty briefly and say you are not happy.

I was advised to do this earlier in the year, snd it was very effective at getting things moving.

OP, I have TN and can't wear a face covering. I have been refused entry to the surgery. Receptionist told me "I was a danger to the public".

Nice!

In hospitals, once they're in the treatment area, the patient is allowed to take their mask off. They should be finding a way of treating you, especially as your face is going to be as far away from them as possible, because they're injecting your buttock!!

Sayana press is the way forward there is a great tutorial website you can access and fingers crossed it's back in stock in your area.

It's okay @supercalifragilistic123 thank you for responding anyway, I understand why you said what you did. Where people can just put on a mask for 5 minutes but refuse it would be helpful for them to think of the bigger picture and the reasons behind it, sadly this doesn't help my specific circumstances. Take care!

@PhilCornwall1 we have spoken to each other before on other threads about TN and masks (name changed here). Nice to know we should just stay at home even if we need to buy food or get medical care eh hope you're okay!

@WouldBeGood thank you, I'll look into that.

Still no call back yet. I've got (like everyone else!) loads of other things on at the moment to be stressed about so probably leave it until tomorrow afternoon before I ring the surgery again and ask wtf is going on...

I self inject depo
Couldn’t change but dr wanted me to pill doesn’t suit

However it’s not easy to do to yourself as it’s IM could someone do it for you? I’ve done it for quite a while now though.
Hope you can find a solution sounds a pain

@itbemay1 I asked a nurse yesterday as PPs mentioned it up thread but they said they don't do it at all, I'm not sure if they were just fobbing me off though. Would be a great alternative going forward!

Honestly, I hate complaining. But they’d ring me back before I’d even got home 😂

And @PhilCornwall1 that’s just awful!

@Crappyfridays7 did they just prescribe and you picked it up? I'm wondering now why they're making out like they don't offer it. I asked outright and they said no we don't offer that here but the attached pharmacy is just a Lloyd's pharmacy (or you can go elsewhere) so I don't see why they wouldn't. Very strange.

Thank you. I work in the NHS and we really are just trying our best, none of us have done this before.

I hope your GP helps you out. That is what they are there for!

@Contraceptiveproblem @WouldBeGood

It's not been great. The only way I can get my bloods done now is if they come out to me in the car park, I have to phone when I arrive an stay in my car.

The one place I thought I would get some understanding and I was wrong.

Have you got a local contraception and sexual health clinic you can contact? although the Nurse or GP should be able to prescribe it for you, it all sounds a bit rubbish for you. What area are you in?

This is awful. Inpatients in hospital are not wearing masks continually and receive the care they need. As you say, they’ll be a long way from your face as they’re injecting it into your bum! You also have a clear clinical need for this treatment.
If you haven’t already done so I would escalate through the complaints procedure and PALS.
I’m a nurse an would never refuse to treat a patient who had a valid reason for not wearing a mask. I do hope you resolve this, good luck.

Sorry, You've said already, Yorkshire. I can help in London with signposting but not Yorkshire. Sorry. I'd take this to practice manager then CCG if no joy. Good luck

Doctor here (not GP), I am quite confused about what is going on here.

IF they are refusing to see you solely due to not wearing a face covering, that is unacceptable. It's very clear that those with exemptions should not be refused medical care. If nurses are going to refuse due to risk though I'm sure why they expect the GP to still see a patient without a face mask- are GPs just expected to shoulder all the risk for the practise because being a doctor gives you magical superpowers against catching covid...? The low down is that the most appropriate person should see you and give you treatment and you should not be discriminated against due to not being able to wear a mask.

There was a thread a few months ago which went deep into the discrimation law about mask wearing in those with disabilities and it was pretty damning on health professionals who even questioned not why someone was not wearing a mask, I cannot imagine for a moment it is acceptable to refuse to see a patient due to this and certainly has never happened where I work.

However if the issue is with low stock then it's out of the practises control and not related to the issue of face coverings, and if the problem is that they are thinking a GP should do it due to your complex medical problems then also fair enough.

If it's the top option, and nurses have specifically said they will not see you if you cannot wear a mask, email practice manager and if no acceptable reply within 48hrs email again saying you would like to escalate above, who should you contact (I'm not in GPland but I think it's the CCG).

Also I have seen above some concerning comments made by staff in general about people not wearing facemasks (danger to the public!!) - if you have a genuine reason to not wear a mask and you have indicated that you are exempt YOU SHOULD NOT BE REPEATEDLY CHALLENGED or guilt tripped or whatever. If this happens then please complain.

No problem @itbemay1 I know of a sexual health clinic but whether they are open/will do it I'm not sure. Yes @geckoko refusing entirely due to the face covering, they were happy to book me an appointment, after finding a slot and confirming the time as normal they said just to remind you you must wear a face covering, I mentioned my exemption and it has spiralled from there with them cancelling the appointment and saying they won't see me then. This injection is always done by a nurse and I think frankly it's a bit ridiculous that even if I do get an appointment it will now be with a GP who isn't the most appropriate person to do this. I have no problem with them doing it myself but it frustrates me that a person might need to actually see a GP and not a nurse and they can't get an appointment and they force me to see one when a nurse is the most appropriate person.

Firstly, I would definitely be pushing back on this. Are they saying that whilst covid is around you are unable to access any healthcare in person as you can't wear a mask? Not acceptable.
Secondly, I have been using Sayana press for a while now. It is not an IM injection like the depo, it's a tiny little needle with a squeeze thing full of the liquid that you grab some skin/fat on your tummy or thigh, push needle in and squeeze. So very easy. I usually get it from the local sexual health clinic in a yearly supply because my GP wasn't happy to prescribe. However, they weren't seeing patients during the first lockdown so I made a telephone appt with the GP and explained the situation. I'm also really limited to what contraception I can use. She thankfully used her common sense and sent the prescription to my local superdrug and it's now on my repeat. It is absolutely possible for your GP to prescribe, perhaps they're just not too sure what it is. I had to spell it for mine when she was looking it up to prescribe! Good luck!

Even though I know I shouldn't have to, I'm at the point now where I will just explain myself and give evidence to prove I'm exempt even though it's not their business. I'm that fed up of being stared at and having snarky comments aimed at me. But I don't expect it from my GP surgery, especially since they're the ones who help me with my current treatment for the issues that make me exempt!

Who knows @FallenSky, like I mentioned earlier I wonder if they/pps would say the same if it werent femals contraception... it's great to know that the self injection isn't a really scary difficult procedure though. I just asked about 'the one I could self inject' so maybe the nurse wasn't clear on what I meant. I'll definitely ask again. Thank you!

You can't be the only person at that surgery who is exempt from wearing a face covering, even if they have to do individual risk assessments for each exempt person that needs a face to face appointment they can't just refuse to provide a service. I am a hcp in the community and although the majority of my job is not hands on I do sometimes have to get close to service users, I can't just refuse to do my job if the service user can't wear a mask!