Sharps boxes, where have they gone???

[anna29]

Preston Lancs I live .
Can get them on script from GP's or the local
do a pick up and drop off new sharps bin every other tuesday .
Just have to ring them up and request this service !
My GP will accept full sharps to dispose off for me .
My local community chemist no longer offers this service .

Ermm Sandie - with the job you are doing cant you get more
info to obtaining one ?

 

[jack412]

Mine go safely straight into the dustbin and have done for many years. Disbetes invades my life enough without looking at s sharps bin as well to remind me

I haven't asked about a sharps bin..I have a jar next to my meter and everything goes in there, when it's full I put the lid on and put it in the bin.
I'm T2 and don't test when I'm out, if I did, I'd probably take an empty strips tub with me in my kit

 

[sandiepops]

Preston Lancs I live .
Can get them on script from GP's or the local
do a pick up and drop off new sharps bin every other tuesday .
Just have to ring them up and request this service !
My GP will accept full sharps to dispose off for me .
My local community chemist no longer offers this service .

Ermm Sandie - with the job you are doing cant you get more
info to obtaining one ?

I have tried all ways and believe me I have asked and asked but to no avail no one seems to want to help. My GP surgery have never accepted full sharps boxes nor have they ever given them out, they say it is because of funding. Hence the fact I ended up complaining to PALS.

 

[sandiepops]

I haven't asked about a sharps bin..I have a jar next to my meter and everything goes in there, when it's full I put the lid on and put it in the bin.
I'm T2 and don't test when I'm out, if I did, I'd probably take an empty strips tub with me in my kit

You should still be provided with a sharps box because at the end of the day they are still sharps.

 

[anna29]

I have tried all ways and believe me I have asked and asked but to no avail no one seems to want to help. My GP surgery have never accepted full sharps boxes nor have they ever given them out, they say it is because of funding. Hence the fact I ended up complaining to PALS.

I am 'shocked and stunned' to hear of this .
Given the work role you do .

Have you tried via the Practice Manager ?
You are allowed as a patient to have access to appt with
GP practice manager and can lodge any complaint
They can present this to staff at next staff meeting ?

Try joining your PPG at GP surgery if they have one ?
Patients Participation Group .
I have joined mine .
It gives me a chance to offer ideas, problem solve any issues too .

 

[sandiepops]

I am 'shocked and stunned' to hear of this .
Given the work role you do .

Have you tried via the Practice Manager ?
You are allowed as a patient to have access to appt with
GP practice manager and can lodge any complaint
They should present them at next staff meeting .

I have done this with a couple of issues and managed to
successfully turn things around for myself and other patients .
Does your practice have a PPG (patients participation group) ?
If they do - join it - and present this at the next meeting!
Hopefully they will find some funding then ?
Sharp bins are only few pence in price ... £1.75 a bin

I don't work in a GP practice I am currently looking for work but I am a phlebotomist by trade and I have never hear of PPG.

 

[Hooked]

Im afraid that no one here where I live is bothered about issueing sharpsbins or for that matter telling people where they can go with them to dispose safely. All my pen needles are inserted back into the clear plastic funnel and the needle tip is bent over with the back of a pencil so that no one can be hurt. My introducer needles are put in a plastic bottle. The plastic casing for the Inset II is recycled and I push the white spring out.
Loads of things get chucked out in rubbish bags all the time. How many people use tin openers and just fling the lid in the rubbish instead of leaving a bit of it attached to the tin so that it can be pushed down inside the tin.And what about soiled nappies and poo going all over the place?

You should approach the local press. I bet there would soon be provisions if the public hears that sharps are just thrown out in the trash.

 

[Hooked]

We shouldn't have to put up with it, I think we should make a stand and tell them how it is and maybe they should come up with a solution because what some of you are telling me is soooo wrong. But what else can we do!

My suggestion is that we all put a complaint in to PALS just ring any hospital and ask to be put through to PALS and lodge a complaint about the sharps bins not being issued or not being practical what ever the reason we shouldn't have to deal with it.

Do you have contact details for PALS please?

 

[sandiepops]

Ring your local hospital and ask to be put through to PALS and then you can report your issues with them. My local hospital is James Cook 01642 850850.

 

[sandiepops]

You should approach the local press. I bet there would soon be provisions if the public hears that sharps are just thrown out in the trash.

It's definitely an idea I might look into that thanks.

 

[anna29]

You dont have to work in GP surgery sandie
Any patient - can request an appointment with the practice manager
to lodge a complaint you may have .

PPG is a new opportunity for patients to get more
involved with their/other patients needs within the surgery
they are registered with .

I got and encouraged our surgery to have a visual message board
and a touch screen appointment system installed .
This freed up the extremely busy receptionists to be free to
crack on with the many other things they needed to do .
Plus it gives me chance to propose other ideas and problem
solve , working WITH the GP's and reception team .

 

[noblehead]

Loads of things get chucked out in rubbish bags all the time. How many people use tin openers and just fling the lid in the rubbish instead of leaving a bit of it attached to the tin so that it can be pushed down inside the tin.

The difference being that needles are injected into the skin and contain bodily fluids, as the NHS website says on the safe disposal of needles:


Needles can cause injury to you or other people because they're sharp. Used needles carry body fluids, such as blood. Body fluids can carry infections that may be passed on to other people, such as:

• HIV
• hepatitis B
• hepatitis C

 

[ealingr]

Here, we get the wee 1 litre sharps boxes on prescription. They can't write a script for one any bigger, despite the fact that it's difficult to get the Inset II into the box safely and they are filled in no time. So I've been buying 2.5 litre ones from Amazon, bigger opening on top and they last much longer. Disadvantage is that only the larger chemists take them for disposal.

If you're using an Animas pump, Animas will happily send you an extra-large sharps container because they know the NHS only supply the small ones - you can order in the same way as your infusion sets/cartridges.

 

[Nyxks]

I know in the US many people apparently use the jugs their detergent comes in, here in Canada the sharps containers are provided free of charge from any pharmacy - you get them fill them up and taken them back and they get replaced

 

[Simply]

I received a sharps box 14 years ago . I've never tried to get it emptied as I incinerate my needles etc on my Rayburm .
Hope this is OK, I never even thought

 

[Heathenlass]

I received a sharps box 14 years ago . I've never tried to get it emptied as I incinerate my needles etc on my Rayburm .
Hope this is OK, I never even thought

I incinerate mine too, @Simply . I don't see a problem with this as ultimately they would be incinerated if they were in a sharps box, presumably ? I live too far out for a sharps box collection to be feasible and to be able to take or collect them on a regular basis anyway.

For the OP, this letter is three years old, but the paragraph on diabetic sharps boxes suggests that sharps boxes were/are available on prescription and full ones would be disposed of by the practice on receipt of an FP10 form from the patient . Even if they have reversed the decision to prescribe sharps boxes, the letterhead has some useful contact details so you could contact them to enquire what the position is now .
clevelandlmc.org.uk/documents/Letter4.pdf

clevelandlmc.org.uk/documents/Letter3.pdf

 

[Heathenlass]

Doh ! The Tablet of Doom removed the proper link and won't let me edit it

www.clevelandmc.org.uk/documents/Letter3.pdf

www.clevelandmc.org.uk/documents/Letter4.pdf


Signy

 

[CarbsRok]

Here, we get the wee 1 litre sharps boxes on prescription. They can't write a script for one any bigger, despite the fact that it's difficult to get the Inset II into the box safely and they are filled in no time. So I've been buying 2.5 litre ones from Amazon, bigger opening on top and they last much longer. Disadvantage is that only the larger chemists take them for disposal.

Surely the inset ll is a self contained sharps container in it's self? I know with the inset 30 all I do is flick the plastic up on the needle inserter and it comes out. This goes in the sharps bin nothing else of the inset.

 

[johnmtp]

I have no problems getting sharps boxes from my GP, and I drop the full ones back with them to dispose, as the local council does not collect.

 

[noblehead]

I have no problems getting sharps boxes from my GP, and I drop the full ones back with them to dispose, as the local council does not collect.

Yes I return mine to my gp practice, I just wait until I get 2 full bins and return them together, they always insist that the prescription label is signed.