AIBU to be appalled by delayed NHS care for possible shoulder fracture

Could you possibly afford private treatment OP? If they are talking about losing control of your bowels and having numb feet, it sounds as if they suspect nerve damage.

I had a full thickness rotator cuff tear and no sling. Just left to get on with it for 8 months until they operated on it.

however the treatment for torn rotator cuff & broken shoulder is the same, just a sling.

…unless it’s not (which is quite often)

I had a potential stress fracture recently in a high risk location. It didn't feel like an A&E type emergency to start with and I didn't want to be a time waster, so I put a GP request in. They gave me an appointment with a physio for two weeks later, no call/check with the GP at all despite some red flag symptoms. I tried to get a more urgent appointment but there weren't any! I knew I'd end up in the same position that you have in terms of x-ray timelines (I'd been there before!) so I eventually gave up and went via 111 to A&E.

X-ray, CT, urgent outpatient MRI all within 5 days and fracture confirmed. So in future I'd always just go to straight to A&E/urgent care if any fracture is suspected. GP route would have left me walking around for weeks on a high risk injury and possibly resulted in surgery. It is really confusing when you can't find an appropriate route to get help.

My broken shoulder showed on scan wasn’t evident on X-ray however the treatment for torn rotator cuff & broken shoulder is the same, just a sling.

People are being a bit mean trying to say that OP was daft for not going to A&E in the first place. I think it’s fairly common to try and soldier on if you have a trip or fall and you think it’s probably just soft tissue injury as you’re not screaming in pain or feeling faint with it ir whatever.

I’ve been told I’ve had a healed previously broken rib on a chest x Ray as an incidental finding while scanning for something else, and on another occasion a chip out of my ankle bone which they said was from an old injury. I bet there are loads of people walking round with old injuries that they didn’t get checked out at the time as they thought it was just soft tissue damage and would heal on its own with some ice and rest.

I broke my wrist emptying the tumble dryer (don’t ask) but ignored it for about 5 weeks because the pain wasn’t that bad unless I moved it in a certain way but it was very annoying. When it showed no signs of getting better I went to the GP who sent me for an x ray the next day. Within a day or two he rang me to tell me it was broken but said there was nothing they could do for it then because I’d left it too late so I had to give it time. It was my fault, not theirs, I never bother the doctor unless I’m half dead.

I think the waits are normal for the NHS unfortunately. I think you have been unfortunate in the process you have needed to follow.
In our area, we can self refer to NHS Physio, all referrals are screened by the Physios and a phone call made to the patient to determine need. If at that point the Physio thinks it is urgent, they will assess you the same day or next day in Minor Injuries, will order an xray after that appointment.
If this were available in your area it would have reduced the delay as you wouldn't have needed to see a GP. If self referral isn't available, ask them why as it is really common across the UK.
All xrays need to be reported on which can take time. The Physio should be able to view the report, and normally the xray itself, a lot of Musculoskeletal Physios will be able to see if you have a break even if small.
Hope you feel better soon.

Sure you’re not getting grumpy cause people don’t agree with you?

but yes, get the thread deleted so you don’t look like a moaning bugger

This.

Unlikely to be fracture as you would have been in pain straight away. As others have said more likely soft tissue and now have frozen shoulder due to lack of movement due to pain (had it myself and is excruciating so i empathize ifbits that). To be honest a lot of fractures in that area are conservatively managed anyway and just left to heal themselves, if an operation was required its unlikely to have been done straight away.

I'm personally fed up of hearing NHS bashing stories, if people were more sensible in what they went to A & E with then the service would cope better but when it is urgent the NHS is the best! I had a fall on wet muddy path, a day later arm was infected, within a matter of hours I'd been x rayed for foreign bodies, bloods taken, antibiotics given and operation arranged for next day despite it being a bank holiday!

With the greatest of respect you need to get over yourself. Absolutely no need to respond to everything written on your thread or even read it. Getting offended by people’s reasonable responses is just daft. Pulling the thread because of it is weird.

Pay out your own pocket for private health care then.

the NHS system is simply amazing but so overwhelmed.

My DH had a rotor cuff tear. Waited months to see the consultant surgeon who put him on the urgent list for surgery. Eighteen months later he had the surgery. It was too late of course the torn tendons had shrunk. The surgeon did what he could under the circumstances.

A friend had the operation within four days but that was years ago. She made a full recovery.

My advice get a private x-ray if you can.

Is the pain worse at night?

You know people endure excruciating pain for years, don’t you? Because they have no choice other than suicide. This “if it was that bad you wouldn’t be able to wait/eat/sit on a chair in A&E” trope has got to stop. It’s dangerous, manipulative and stupid.

I'm so sorry, OP.
What a miserable time for you. I hope you get some answers soon.

I'd be surprised if a physio wasn't sure that it's a rotator cuff injury. I was told when I did mine that there are classic signs of it (pain when holding onto bicycle handle bars in my case), so it probably isn't that.

The waits are ridiculous. Everything has taken longer when DH had a knee injury this time than when he did exactly the same thing to the other knee 8 years ago.

what sort of pain relief are you using? If it’s excruciating I would go to an and e now. That is what it is there for.

There are so many surprising things about this. So you told your GP that you were in excruciating pain but they only offered you an appointment 2 weeks later. Did they not suggest that you should go to A&E? Then you had to see a physio. So the GP did not send you for a x-ray. Did the GP not think it might be a fracture?

And why did you go to an osteopath?