Surgeries axe wart ‘freezing’

REMOVING a stubborn wart or verruca will become even more of a challenge following a ban on the use of liquid nitrogen in doctors’ surgeries.

Cryotherapy, which uses liquid nitrogen to ‘freeze’ off the painful growths, has been dropped from the General Medical Scotland contract – meaning practices are no longer obliged to provide the minor surgery.

New health and safety rules governing the transportation and storage of liquid nitrogen are thought to have made it more expensive to offer the treatment.

But doctors fear the cost-cutting move will place a greater burden on hospital dermatology departments, which still have access to liquid nitrogen.

Retired West Lothian GP Dr Donald Macaulay said: ‘This is purely a costcutting move. When I was complaining they came out with all these health and safety reasons, but it was all rubbish. I mean, Heston Blumenthal uses liquid nitrogen to make ice cream on the TV.

‘This decision means it will take forever for a patient to receive cryotherapy treatment, whereas before, GPs could do it straight away.’