Minor injuries unit for sprained ankle?

[KohLanta]

Random question but just wondering if anyone knows? I've a sprained ankle and hoping I can get it better at home but thinking it probably needs an X-ray. It's Saturday afternoon so not the best time to clog up A&E and probably unbearable in this heat. The local hospitals say they have a minor injuries unit as part of A&E. What does this mean? Are minor injuries treated differently to other A&E things, or is it just all part of A&E - so the waiting time will be as long as for A&E?

Wondering whether to wait until Monday and see if it gets better at home or head there now...

Agreed, you're right to have got it seen
Sometimes a sprain can be harder to recover from than a break.
With a break, the bones can heal relatively easy
With a bad sprain, all the ligaments etc. get stretched and might not recover properly, making your ankle generally weaker and so you're more likely to go over on it
Ask me how I know..! 😓

Or my dd who was examined by the first aider at school and told she was making a fuss over nothing, it definitely wasn't broken, guess what? Broken wrist confirmed at Paed A&E.

When I sprained my ankle, just a straightforward sprain, it took weeks before I could walk normally again and months to recover fully. And in fact I never did because it’s still weaker than the other one and won’t bend back as far as it used to and as the other one does, when I for instance kneel down and sit on my heels.

Some people think a sprain is a minor ankle twist. It’s not. I hope yours gets better soon, OP.

Just following up on previous ankle sprains!!

I rolled my ankle in December 23 after an accident at work! (7 months ago)

A&E suggested a snapped & tear to ligaments. No X-ray required!

Told to RICE & no weight bearing for 72 hrs! Which tbh I couldn't weight bear for approx 6 wks. I was provided crutches (albeit the nurse/dr had them misaligned)
she was going to provide me with a boot but then declared they no longer provide them & I could get a support bandage off Amazon)

After 12 weeks still struggling & continued limping with reduced mobility within the ankle joint.

GP told me I was over protective of my ankle & just needed to rebuild confidence using it!! (It was still painful to fully weight bear) my protection was to minimise pain! Bearing in mind, I do have a high pain threshold)

Due to frustration & lack of improvement, I therefore decided to have private physio treatment & after 6 sessions she referred me to a chiropractor who specialises in lower limbs as there was a section of the ankle joint that was stuck & and she could not reach it within her physio techniques.

The chiropractor stated the injury was a 9/10 & that it was misaligned within the joint. (After 4 sessions I visited a MSK clinic & he told me it's unlikely to be misaligned as it would have been detected in A&E) !! (I felt dismissed yet again)

I have had 5 sessions with chiropractor since June & still have lack of mobility within a section of the ankle joint!

I would say it's 80% improved but due to my job role (prison officer) I am deemed unfit for role until full mobility has improved. I am therefore on half pay & still playing the waiting game to regain full ankle functions.

Just looking for other suggestions or advice on how to improve full recovery or expectations??? Or is it possible that it was a different injury to a sprain? Or do these injuries really take months-1 year or so to reach full recovery??

Kind regards