A DESPERATE transplant patient was forced into a DIY procedure to remove her own surgical staples after claiming she had been told by her doctor’s surgery that she would have to wait weeks for an appointment. 

The woman, who was at home in Highgate recovering from an operation, took matters into her own hands on Monday by searching how it was done on video-sharing site YouTube, watching a film and doing it herself.

She had undergone surgery on her transplanted pancreas at hospital last week and was told by her surgeon that the staples should be removed on Sunday. But she said that when she phoned the Caversham Practice in Peckwater Street, Kentish Town, staff told her that the five-minute procedure could not be carried out until next month. 

The patient, who asked to remain anonymous, has suffered years of medical complications after being diagnosed with Type One diabetes more than 40 years ago. She said that because there was no appointment until February 4, she was told to head to an A&E department to get the staples removed.

Campaigners have described overstretched A&E departments as in “crisis” across the country this winter, with emergency departments at the Whittington Hospital in Archway and the Royal Free in Hampstead both missing government targets to see 95 per cent of all patients within four hours in December.

The patient told the New Journal: “I have just had a major operation and have serious heath complications, and a seven-hour wait in A&E with lots of sick people is just not on. It caused me so much distress, I was completely panic-stricken for the last two days. I just thought, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

On Monday, feeling she had “no other choice”, she decided to take the drastic step and turned to YouTube for guidance.

She said: “They showed it on an NHS website, so I just watched that a couple of times on my iPad. I watched it a couple of times and then did it. I made sure everything was sterile and washed my hands in the Hibiscrub. The operation has been incredibly painful. It’s hurting quite badly now. But the staples are out and it went OK, I think.”

Medical advice is not to remove staples at home and to seek expert help.

On Tuesday, following an email from her surgeon, she was offered an appointment at the Caversham Practice, but it was too late, she said.

The woman added: “I know they’ve got more patients than they can cope with, but I thought common sense would prevail. If a top surgeon is calling you, then you might think, I better just have a word with somebody and see if there’s a space.”

A statement from the Caversham Practice said: “We are unable, for reasons of confidentiality, to discuss the care of any individual patient, but we are very happy to engage with any patient individually who wishes to discuss their care with us.”