more of a wwyd, GP or A&E?

[IJustLostTheGame]

I was late and running to work about 6 weeks ago and I felt something 'pop' for want of a better word at the back of my ankle. The pain wasn't too bad and I assumed I'd pulled a muscle. It felt bruisy.
The bruised feeling has stayed since but in the last few days it's gotten worse. It's now stiff and I can't go on tip toe.
It's also twice the size of the back of my other ankle. I don't know how long it's been swollen I only looked the other day as it got worse.
I think I need to see someone as I'm beginning to think I may have 'done something' after all. After 6 weeks it should be better surely?
But do I go to the GP? I don't want to clog up A&E, it's not as though I've only just done it but at the same time I don't want a pointless GP appointment. They've been engaged since half 8 when I rang for advice

OP - there's lots of advice from non-clinical people here that isn't terribly helpful. I am a clinical person and I'd advise you to get your ankle seen. I hope that doesn't sound rude to other posters.

Sounds like achilles tendon to me - I would go to minor injuries.

pharmacy?

In my area, you would go to your GP who would give you a card to go for an xray.

It is in no way shape or form an emergency so why would you go to A&E?

Interesting responses from clinical and A&E staff: Go to A&E or minor injuries.

I would go for GP or minor injuries.

It does sound like a tendon or ligament problem to my untrained ears but if you go o the GP they will probably want to rule out a break so just refer you to the hospital anyway

Yes- but straight to x-ray so you don't have to wait clog up in A+E. Surely it's much more preferable to get a GP appt then go to the hospital for the x-ray at your convenience, than wait in A+E for hours and hours to be seen because you're low priority, then have to go and wait in x-ray too.

If a Gp tells you to go to A+E rather than refer you straight to x-ray, it's because that way the x-ray doesn't come out of his budget.

our local minor injuries is very quick but the A&E department has long Waits

Gp, there is a sign up in our A&E that states if it happened more than 48 hours ago then go to your Gp.

Micah - x-Rays will not indicate soft tissue injuries.

this sounds like what happened when I tore my calf muscle - I went to A&E straight off but needed a ultrasound to confirm it, so you might be better off there even though it's an old injury.

It does depend a lot on your area I guess.

In my hospital OP would not be waiting for hours to see a dr to be triaged. The A&E triage nurse would see her very quickly (might be a delay if super busy but it's not usually a long wait at all) and then send her to MIU. The drs there are not the same drs who will see others in emergencies so she won't be taking time away from those going in with emergencies at all.

A&E deal with a lot of things that aren't technically emergencies, which is why we have the MIU. My dd was sent so they could drain an abscess because the GP couldn't do it. It's neither an accident or an emergency. You can't go to MI here unless a triage nurse sends you over but once she/he does then it is totally separate from A&E.

Yes, Micah, that would be ideal but it depends on how quickly the OP can get an appointment. She can't weight bear so it's got to be sorted soon.

Our GPs aren't that busy but some it can take weeks to be seen. Ours will sometimes refer by telephone consultation if the problem is obvious.

Someone at A&E or minor injuries can also diagnose and advise for soft tissue injuries, if it isn't a break.

I think this ia one of them there grey areas tbh

X-rays won't show up soft tissue injuries no, but IME they will give her an X-ray just to rule anything out anyway.

Yeah, if she can get a GP appointment today then great.

If not she needs to go to A&E. Swelling and not being able to weight bear means she needs seeing ASAP. My GP would advise me to go to A&E so I would just skip that part, but every area works differently.

Micah - x-Rays will not indicate soft tissue injuries

I didn't say it would? Just replying to all those who say a GP can't x-ray so it's not worth going. If an x-ray is indicated, a GP can refer.

I took my ds to minor injuries, with an injury that was admittedly days rather than weeks old. We were there for less than two hours in total, including the time waiting for the xray service to open.

There would have been little the GP could have done - she would have referred us to the hospital anyway. Added to that, many gp surgeries are unable to offer appointments within a day or so, other than for babies and other vulnerable groups.

Basically in my area at least, I'd absolutely advise a visit to minor injuries (not A&E!), cutting out the middleman.

I've learned that when noone can agree like this, that there isnt a perfect solution and therefore either one is probably ok - but I would follow those who are medics, as opposed to those with non medical opinions.

Cutting out the middleman and not taking up the GP's time unnecessarily, I should have added.

Could be a partial rupture in the Achilles tendon, or lower tendons of the calf.

A few weeks ago, I was struggling with a loaded shopping trolley on a slope, and felt something go "pop" in my left calf, but halfway up. I assumed I'd torn a muscle and went home - couldn't walk properly on it, and being my left calf, it was painful to drive. DH had, the previous week, torn his hamstring, and I'd googled to see the best treatment - RICE was the advice.
So I blithely googled my own injury, expecting to see the same advice - and was quite shocked to see large lettered advice to seek medical attention as soon as possible, because of the possibility of compartment syndrome if the muscle tear bled too much.

So I went to the GP, who gave me a referral for ultrasound, which does deal with soft tissue damage. Luckily for me, I didn't have compartment syndrome (he did chuckle a little at me but agreed I was right to see him) and the ultrasound, a few days later, showed the tear and that it was healing.

Yours, otoh, sounds like it's not healing properly at all, if it's swollen that much.

So - advice = go to the GP or minor injuries unit (NOT A&E) and get a referral for ultrasound so they can see what you've torn/ruptured and fix you up.

Minor injuries if you have one.
I do know someone who had a similar injury, their GP sent them to A&E so it could be x-rayed. His reasoning was that the patient could barely walk and any referral he made would be a minimum of three weeks away and there wasn't a minor injuries department, just A&E.

I would suggest minor injuries if you have them. Gp will most likely refer you to hospital for X-ray anyway. You can't weight bear.

But you should have gone straight away. My back injury has taught me that.

GP.

why not call NHS 101? they usually get you either referred for emergency GP, or send you to A&E- kind of helps with decision making

101 is the police non-emergency number.
For the NHS is 111.