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"Lymphoedema clinic visit"

About: Heavitree Hospital / Lymphoedema Service

(as the patient),

I have just received a copy of the letter that is being sent to my GP and disagree with some of what has been said.  

In the main the consultation was useful. I had never been told that the compression sleeve I wear had a life expectancy of only 6 months! Bearing in mind my operation was in 2009 and I would have received the sleeves in 2010 and have had a few replacements via my doctors surgery but nobody had mentioned replacement every six months!  However I am now on a regular six monthly delivery of replacements, or at least that is the plan. we will see if it actually happens.  

In their letter to my doctor, the nurse states they had recommended I carry a small first aid kit including antiseptic wipes and creams to use on any minor wounds or scratches - this is pure fabrication - this discussion did not take place. I am more than aware of my vulnerability to infection because of the axillary clearance and take measures to ensure I always have the necessary antiseptic to hand. Not sure why the nurse  would say we had this conversation. I also wish that they had addressed me in the letter with the correct prefix - Miss not Mrs!!!
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Responses

Response from Angela Ives, Clinical Nurse Specialist Lymphoedema/Team Lead, Lymphoedema - Barnstaple and Exeter, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust last week
We are preparing to make a change
Angela Ives
Clinical Nurse Specialist Lymphoedema/Team Lead, Lymphoedema - Barnstaple and Exeter,
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Submitted on 14/08/2026 at 11:52
Published on Care Opinion at 11:58


Thankyou for your constructive feedback. As per our telephone conversation yesterday, we apologise for any distress caused by your recent engagement with our service.

As discussed, we do use templates for our letters which help patients summarise their visit, but in this instance, some of the aspects were not discussed. For that I apologise. As a team we will look to see how we can do things differently in the future.

I am pleased you found the consultation useful in the main. As a service we are always trying to find ways to improve so I can assure you, we will look at the content of your feedback to improve communication to our patients.

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