Have I been a twat or should the GP surgery have given me an appointment?

If it’s your big toe then yes it needs an x-ray. It’s important it’s managed properly or it can impact on balance etc

Your GP is right, minor injuries. Other pp’s have said not to go but given it is your big toe I would advise it

I know this having broken a little toe and at the time looking up broken toe treatment on the NHS webpages. On the NHS 111 site it advises that if you think you have broken a big toe you should get it seen.

I left it as it was a little toe but actually ended up going to minor injuries after a few weeks as although it wasn’t a big toe, the bruising was that bad I (and as it turns out, the nurse) were concerned that a bone in the foot may be broken. Turned out the toe was broken but nothing in the foot, it was just terribly bruised. It was a hell of a whack

I wouldn’t bother with minor injuries or the gp. You know it’s an injury. It just needs to get better. Racing around to get to a clinic isn’t going to help that.

No point in wasting a GP appointment, if it’s that bad go to minor injuries.

Do they even treat broken toes? I thought they neighbour strap and that's it. If you are managing to drive it just seems a matter of time to heal

nope and they wouldn't try. A break in a swollen bruised toe or finger CAN'T be diagnosed just by looking at it. So basically yes you are a twat.

You are spreading misinformation and giving potentially dangerous advice. You are wrong. Your big toe was x-rayed and the medical staff treated it according to what the x-ray showed. In your case, it needed to be taped and rested. For other breaks, the advice could be different. Nobody knows without an x-ray.

Broken toe - NHS

Hi OP I can sympathise as I hurt my big toe last year and it was so painful, but thankfully not broken, however what I did manage to do when I injured it was to splinter my toe nail, didn't realise it at the time as it was a tiny sliver which embedded itself down inside my toe nail, this became infected and I had to go to the chiropodist to have it removed along with part of my toenail. So just a heads up to keep an eye on your toe nail as well as your toe.

This. Hope you feel better soon.

My yardstick for seeking a GP appointment is: ‘Would I be willing to pay for it?’.

Because I AM paying for it via my taxes. And so is everyone else.

If my answer is: ‘No, I’d rather wait to see if it gets better before paying for a medical examination’, then I have my answer.

Invariably, most ailments have got better with sensible care: rest, plenty of water, healthy food, fresh air, antiseptic/bandaging, strapping, monitoring signs of infection, pharmacy advice etc.

However, I’m a trained first-aider and have a pretty good sense of danger signs.

People should never put off seeking medical advice if they’re worried, as many conditions (e.g. cancers) have the best outcomes (and can cost NHS much less) when caught early.

Pharmacists are very good at providing advice and will always suggest when you should see a doctor.

Angry?! 😂

And yes, I have broken 3 of my toes over the years and have hobbled about in pain. The first time I went for an x-ray (big toe) they confirmed it was broken, strapped it to the next toe and sent me away telling me to rest. The other 2 I just strapped myself.

A GP / minor injuries unit don't magically take the pain away.

Is it just sweeping and bruising or do you have pain with it? Don't assume it's not broken.
When I broke a bone in my foot I didn't have bruising but it was extremely painful. Before I knew it was broken I kept saying it felt like a pain deeeep in my bone, and kept me awake at night.
I walked around (hobbled) for weeks in agony not realising it was broken, having been misdiagnosed with inflammation since I hadn't had any bruising.

They wouldn't be doing their job properly to try and make that decision without access to x ray so have signposted you correctly. If the GP did say oh yes looks OK then later you had ongoing issues how would you feel then? MIU will be a quicker route to the appropriate treatment surely...?

Oh sorry yeah big toe. So minor injuries then. Other toes they say just have to leave it.

Take your snotty 🙄and shove it in your big toe.

What are you expecting the GP to do?

Wave a magic wand and diagnose / rule out a broken / fractured toe without an xray?!

Minor injuries is the correct pathway, but there's unlikely to be any treatment anyway. I broke my big toe a few years back, confirmed by x-ray, and the treatment was literally nothing, they just said stay off it if it's painful.

If you are walking on it then it isn't broken. If you break your toe, you know about it!

No gp doesn't have xray vision

I wouldn’t do anything for this. Broken toes doing gymnastics and dancing quite a few times. Just put ice on it to reduce swelling.

Even if minor injuries x-Ray it and it’s broken, they wouldn’t do anything for a toe. Paracetamol, rest, ice.

Far too minor for a GP appointment.

You would need an x-ray to make that decision.
Hence why GP refers you to minor injuries.

I broke my big toe during covid and went to the minor injuries unit at my local hospital. I didn't think it was broken but after a couple of days the nail was really swollen and blood building up under it. I had an xray after they (sorry) put a hot needle in the nail bed to release the blood and swelling - it actually felt heaven as it was throbbing before they did it. Once they x-rayed and determined it was broken that was it, no treatment other than paracetamol. the nail fell off eventually and grew back but it still aches if I do certain exercise. My advice is as others have said, unless you are concerned about the swelling and pain then just ride it out and dont put pressure on that foot as much. Its annoying but a trip to the GP or MIU is not going to do much.

Because often patients booking inappropriately IS the reason others can’t get appointments.

I’ve worked in primary care for 26 years and people have totally lost the ability to use any common sense or seek guidance regarding their health. We have a massive resource base literally at our fingertips yet so many people’s default is to call the GP.

The poor receptionists have to filter out the amount of dross people try and book in with so that people who genuinely need care can get it.

@Isgreasl kindly yes you are being a twat. The GP cannot tell you any more than you can see with your own eyeballs. You have a swollen bruised toe after an accident, no one can tell if it’s broken without imaging, which cannot be done in a GP surgery. Get to MIU and they can advise.

That’s not strictly true. When I broke my toe I was told this, but I was certain it was dislocated. They eventually x-rayed and realised it was snapped clean off & out of place. They were able to manipulate it back to where it should’ve been. Had it healed wrong I’d have had no end of issues. That being said, there was zero doubt it was broken in my mind. They say ribs & toes there’s no ‘thinking’ it’s broken.

My Dd broke her big toe and a small bone in her foot we wouldn't have known without an xray she had a boot on for weeks and was under orthapedics for 3 months

why are you so angry and dismissive do you expect people to hobble about in pain?