Changing your dressing at home

How to change your dressing at home

• Wash your hands with soap and water
• Gently remove your previous dressing
• Go into the shower and wash your wounds with warm water
• After your shower you can pat dry the area with a clean towel or cotton gauze if necessary.

Monitoring for a Wound infection

It is important to look out for signs of a wound infection as this may cause you to become unwell and affect your recovery.

After you have removed the dressing, look to see if there are any changes to the wound which may indicate a wound infection.

Signs and symptoms to look out for include any of the following:

• Fever
• Lack of energy
• Pus near the wound site
• Smell from the wound
• Increased pain in the wound or around the wound site
• Redness around the wound site
• Swelling of the wound site
• Warmer skin around the wound site

 If you have any of the above signs or symptoms of infection you should contact the plastic surgery department as soon as possible or out-of-hours attend your local accident and emergency department.

Reapplying your dressing

• Wash your hands with soap and water
• Apply primary dressing (this is in direct contact with the wound)
• On top of the primary dressing, apply the secondary dressing (this helps to absorb any fluid and to secure the dressing in place
• How often do you need to change your dressing?

Contact information

If you have any questions about your wound or dressing please contact the team:

Plastics Dressing Clinic
Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5:30pm
E: chelwest.pdc@nhs.net

Plastic Surgery Clinical Nurse Specialist
Mon–Fri, 8am–4pm
T: 07385 384 435 or 07824 502 944

At all other times go to your nearest A&E.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have concerns or wish to give feedback about services, your care or treatment, you can contact the PALS office on the Ground Floor of the hospital just behind the main reception.

Alternatively, you can send us your comments or suggestions on one of our comment cards, available at the PALS office, or complete the feedback form.

We value your opinion and invite you to provide us with feedback.

T: 020 3315 6727
E: chelwest.cwpals@nhs.net

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
369 Fulham Road
London
SW10 9NH 

T: 020 3315 8000