Important Announcement from 3W Health – withdrawal of unfunded service

Posted on August 15th, 2024

For some time, we have been providing an unfunded post-operative wound care service for the convenience of our patients, despite the funding to provide post-operative wound care being received by the hospitals. This service has been especially valuable for those needing regular care but struggling with the travel distance to Stoke Mandeville or Milton Keynes Hospitals. We regret that, due to increasing demands on our nursing team and financial pressures on NHS General Practice overall (https://www.bma.org.uk/…/responding-to-the-new-gp…), we can no longer continue to provide this service for which the hospital receives payment as continuing to do so compromises our ability to deliver our core General Practice Services.

What does this mean for you?
• From 15/09/2024 we will no longer offer post-operative wound care to any new patients. This includes post-operative wound care from all private and NHS services including dermatology, surgery, and urgent care. Patients will be required to receive ongoing wound care from these services directly.
• We cannot offer dressings or wound care for wounds obtained via trauma or other injury, as the surgery does not have contract to provide care for Minor Injuries.
• Patients currently receiving wound care will continue to be offered a maximum of two dressing changes per week until they are healed and discharged.
• Patients who are housebound will be able to receive post-operative wound care from the local District Nursing service. This should be arranged by the hospital service directly at the time of discharge.
• We will continue to offer post-operative clip/suture removal as well as wound care for leg ulcers, as these are separately contracted services.
Thank you for your understanding and support.