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Original poster

Would you go to A&E for this?

99 replies

bluemonkeysocks · 28/07/2019 15:41

Ds fell while playing football last week and hurt his foot. He couldn't walk well for the next few days but it gradually got better. A week on though and he's still in a lot of pain with it. He can put weight on it and drive but has limited movement (can't move it side to side or wiggle toes) and there's still bruising coming up. He's luckily been on annual leave this week is due back to work tomorrow. He's not composing too much and thinks it just needs to heal on its own but he flinches when anyone goes near it and it's at its worst when he's walking up/down the hill in front of our house. Problem is he can't get a Drs appointment till the 8th of August and we have no minor injury units so while A&E seems extreme it seems his only option. Would you take a trip to the hospital in this instance?

OP posts:

HJWT · 28/07/2019 17:19

He cant wiggle his toes? Isn't that the first thing they ask you at A&E before sending for an X-ray?

Isatis · 28/07/2019 17:20

No. Its not an accident or an emergency.

He fell and injured his foot. That's an accident.

JoxerGoesToStuttgart · 28/07/2019 17:23

No. Its not an accident or an emergency.

It is exactly an accident. Have you somehow misread the OP?

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JoxerGoesToStuttgart · 28/07/2019 17:26

I broke my foot 5 years ago. Except I didn’t know it was broken so didn’t go to A&E. Just carried on walking and limping for a few weeks. Then I broke it again a year later in the same place. Went to A&E and they asked how come there was no record of my previous break. I had no idea. I still suffer with it 4/5 year later.

He needs to get it checked.

AnnonniMoose · 28/07/2019 17:27

I hurt my foot a year or so ago. It was swollen, I couldn't move it side to side and couldn't wriggle my toes. It was agony. Got an emergency appointment with my GP and she wouldn't even look at it - just told me off for coming to the GP when I should've gone straight to A&E for an x-ray.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 28/07/2019 17:28

No. Its not an accident or an emergency.

What's your definition of an accident, then, if not "Ds fell while playing football last week and hurt his foot."?

People are weird about A&E.

FWIW, DS also fell and injured his foot. We took him to Minor Injuries who sent him to A&E. Guess they hadn't been properly instructed by Joans3rddaughter

MadamePompadour · 28/07/2019 17:30

GPs round here can't refer for an X-ray. They tell you to go to a&e.

Frith2013 · 28/07/2019 17:33

Our minor injuries unit can send people to x Ray.

Tavannach · 28/07/2019 17:34

A & E, before it gets any worse.

needlessbanana · 28/07/2019 17:35

No, this is not an emergency, it's a minor injury that happened a week ago.

I agree that he most likely needs an X-ray.

He should push for a same day GP appointment and in all GP surgeries that I have experienced the GP would be able to send him for an x-ray. If there was a minor injuries unit or walk in GP, that'd be ideal, appreciate that those don't exist in all areas.

fraxion · 28/07/2019 17:36

He definitely needs an x-ray. I had similar last year but no bruising or swelling so put it down to a tendon issue. Eventually went for an x-ray to discover I had 3 fractured metatarsals but they had started to heal on their own so no treatment needed. Took about 12 weeks for the pain to go away.

Weirdly I had no pain on weight bearing but it was really painful when I lifted my foot when walking.

starfishmummy · 28/07/2019 17:37

No.
If he had sought medical attention straight away then a&e would be fine. As it was a week ago then it is no longer appropriate. Our a&e used to have signs saying that injuries older than 3 days should be taken to the gp.

Isatis · 28/07/2019 17:37

How do you know it's a minor injury, needlessbanana? Have you developed the ability to diagnose through the phone?

The strong likelihood is that the GP will send OP's son to A&E for an X Ray anyway, so why wait and take up a GP appointment?

Medievalist · 28/07/2019 17:38

GPs round here can't refer for an X-ray. They tell you to go to a&e.

Same here. Zero point in going to a gp for something like this. They would just tell you to go to A&E. I went a couple of years ago after a week of hobbling around on a painful ankle (with dh insisting that it was just a sprain). It was a fracture and they plastered my leg.

Tavannach · 28/07/2019 17:39

No, this is not an emergency, it's a minor injury that happened a week ago.

It sound like he could be walking around on a fracture. No-one here knows if it is or not, but A & E will be able to tell very quickly, thus saving the NHS the expense of treating a more complicated condition.

Lweji · 28/07/2019 17:39

If it's not a minor injury that can be treated at Minor Injuries and needs a referral to X-ray, then what's the point of wasting time going to Minor Injuries?
It's not good that he waited a week. But only because he should have gone straight in.

PennyGold · 28/07/2019 17:43

I'd say A&E is for emergency only. I'd go to a walk-in centre (24 hour one if needed) as I got an X-ray there.
I agree with previous posts to call 111 as they'll be able to give you the best advice.

Aragog · 28/07/2019 17:47

No point in a GP appointment unless they have x ray facilities. Our GPs don't refer direct to the x ray departments. They'd send you to Minor Injuries (if your area has one) or A&E.

Few GP surgeries have an x ray machine so often not useful for this kind of issue. GPs have yet to develop x ray eyes after all!

Some Minor Injuries have x ray machines, some don't. You may be able to google or phone them to find out.

A&E is not just for emergencies. The A stands for ACCIDENT. A&E may be the only way to access an x ray machine in some areas of the country.

DefinatelyAWeeGobshite · 28/07/2019 17:48

Yep I’d go to a&e for that. The GPs in my area wouldn’t send you for an X-ray, they just send straight to a&e and you have to wait there anyway so the GP would be a waste of time, we also don’t have a minor injuries.

Hope DS is okay.

Aragog · 28/07/2019 17:49

No, this is not an emergency, it's a minor injury that happened a week ago.

Do you have x ray vision which works via the computer?
How do you know it is a minor injury? How can you tell it isn't a fracture he is walking around on?
Do you realise that a missed fracture can cause long term damage if left untreated?

needlessbanana · 28/07/2019 17:52

Fair enough about not going to minor injuries or GP if in your area they absolutely cannot refer for X-rays. If they can't, that's pretty rubbish, but not the patient's fault. I've always gotten an X-ray through GP when I've needed one. Perhaps just been lucky in my area. I'm sorry I didn't know that wasn't the norm.

Phoning the GP surgery or NHS 24 should be able to advice on whether you can get an X-ray without wasting a&e resources in your area.

And to those saying that this is not a minor injury, seriously come on! The patient ignoring the foot for a week pretty much takes away the "acute" claim from it... In my area the a&e triage would be seriously unimpressed with someone rocking up with a sore foot they've been limping on for a week.

And damn right people get all weird about a&e, the system is so stretched that it's resources really need to be allocated wisely to actual emergencies.

rosy71 · 28/07/2019 17:53

Dp broke his foot and managed to walk around & drive on it for a week before going to A&E.

Here, A&E, minor injuries & the walk-in clinic are all in the same place. They triage you into the right one when you get there. If there's no minor injuries near you, I'd go to A&E. It was an accident & it needs an x-ray. Visiting the GP would be pointless - they'd probably send you to A&E.

3luckystars · 28/07/2019 17:54

Yes I would get it xrayed too.

Aragog · 28/07/2019 17:57

But you do realise that people absolutely do walk around on broken bones, or use broken bones, without realising? And that missed fractures CAN be an issue and can cause long term issues for people?

In many many areas A&E is the ONLY place to have a fracture diagnosed and reset! It is not wasting resources to use that service.

Please be careful when telling people they are wasting A&E resources unless you know exactly what is going on in that area and with that person. By telling someone they definitely shouldn't be going to A&E - you may be misguided and, at worst, you may be giving dangerous advice.

BlondeBumshelll · 28/07/2019 18:00

Yes, even though it's been a while it still needs x-ray'd and if A&E is the only place near you where you can get one, then that's the only place to go.

GP will only send him to get an xray anyway/.

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