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

[Isgreasl]

For context I am a single parent and I work full time so I may be feeling a bit overwhelmed with stress. I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable.

I have had swelling on my toe after falling. It swelled up really fast and has lessened since but the bruising is still bad. I asked for an appointment for the GP to review and I was told to go to a minor injuries unit as it might need an x ray. Minor injuries is 40 minute drive (we are remote) and will take almost an entire day to be seen. I can’t go in first thing as I need to drop DD at nursery (unless I wanted to take her with me which I don’t!).

I have asked them again for an appointment and asked for it to be escalated as I’m not happy with being told to go to minor injuries. I’m really exhausted and confused as to whether I’m in the right here?! From what I’ve read it’s usual to have a few signs looked at with the toe to decide if an x ray is needed and that this is something a GP could do.

As it's your big toe you should get an x-ray. If the bruising was black or purple, it is probably broken. Bone marrow escapes and turns the skin that colour. They will probably give you a rocker boot where you don't put weight on it for a few weeks. They may strap it to the next toe.

You need an x-ray. Go to minor injuries. My local minor injuries sees people within three hours.

Do not avoid this because if it's seriously damaged you may need more treatment.

If the bruise is red and has not gone purple, it's probably fine.

Rule of thumb - you cannot tell the difference between a sprain, break or bruise with the naked eye, unless of course it is a green stick or at a very wonky angle.

as has been stated the gp no more than me or you could make that judgement.

minor injuries and an x-ray would be the most appropriate course. If it was any other toe then strap it and pain killers, but it’s worth getting a big toe checked as it can cause balance issues longer term - so best to go via minor injuries and if broken then they may refer you to the fracture clinic

You should because if you leave it and it's broken you could get in more trouble. Dont be silly about your health.

Where I live that calls for a 111 call to request a walk in appointment at the non emergency X-ray department.

What do you expect your GP to do? either you think its broken so it needs an x-ray or its just bruised in which case you do not need a Dr at all. To be making the appointment you are stating you think it needs X-raying. Nothing a GP could do.

If you just want advice on bandages/support, painkillers, heat vs ice etc... that what a pharmacist is for.

Couldn't agree more. My niece jumped off the back of a sofa and hurt her leg when she was 3/4. Because she could still walk on it everyone thought she was ok. A few days later she was still complaining so her my DSis took her to MIU, she had two hairline fractures in her tibia.

If it’s your big toe it needs an X-ray. Smaller toes, unless misshapen are usually just strapped to another toe. Big toe fractures can extend into joint lines and cause problems in the future. I dropped a weight on my big toe. Phoned 111 as I could only hobble a few steps and they gave me an appointment time for minor injuries that night. I had an x ray and was given a flat shoe that Velcroed shut and was told to use it while needed but gradually reduce use as the pain decreased. I think you need to get it checked out.

Really sorry if I’ve already missed someone saying this but I work at a GP and unfortunately this is correct. A standard GP wouldn’t have the equipment needed to give you a definitive answer you would have to have an xray

Even 35 years ago when I broke my toe I was directed to A and E as it needed an x Ray.

Your GP is right. It wastes an appointment for them to tell you that they can't tell without an x Ray.

They can't do much for a broken toe. You just need to rest it until it heals, and don't put pressure on it. I was given a crutch at the hospital.

Yes, you hold your toe up to your phone and they send special x ray thingies through the camera which then bounce back and make an x ray that the 111 person can read and decide if it is broken. Honestly, the advances in medical science blow my mind sometimes.

I work in a GP surgery too and it is frustrating when we get calls like this.
I appreciate you work, but so do many people and if you feel you need to find out if something is broken, you have to do what everyone else does and tell work you need to go to A&E.
GPs will only send you there anyway and you'll have wasted more time off work.
Sorry if that sounds blunt x.

Can you move it? I don’t think I’d waste anyone’s time with a bashed toe unless it was hanging off 🤣
A quick search on the nhs website tells you what to do. If you really do think it’s broken, then you need to go to A&E or as you have been the minor injury unit. Any other toe, take ibuprofen and rest.

You just seem so irritated rather than angry then, i didn't understand the reasoning why you were dismissive.

GP is 100% right, if they gave you an appointment you’d just be wasting it because they’d send you to minor injuries anyway. No need to put unnecessary pressure on a GP that is likely already stretched.

You want a GP appointment for a sore toe? So much so that you’ve started a mumsnet thread and are thinking of complaining?

What exactly do you think a GP can do? Other than look and say, “yes, that’s swollen… go to minor injuries for an x-Ray.”

Also, most people really wouldn’t seek medical treatment for a swollen toe. They can’t do anything for it. I do a lot of “extreme sport” and have had lots of hurt toes. Just strap it up and move on.

Baffling that someone thinks a GP should be wasting an appointment on this. What do you think they can actually do for it?

Can you ring 111 and see if they can get you a slot at MIU?

In my area, you’re told to call 111 because they’ll sort an appointment at minor injuries. We don’t really have a proper “minor injuries” drop in because there are several in different towns in the area and the sort of rotate which one is open. So you call 111 and they tell you where to go and can usually give you a time.

I wouldn’t go for a toe though 😂

I would usually agree with what everyone is saying about them doing almost nothing for a broken toe is it wasn’t for my experience!

I broke my fourth toe twice, each time by catching my foot on the door frame. Both times it was swollen and bruised all the way up my foot. I couldn’t be bothered getting it xrayed as it seemed like a right faff when I didn’t think there’d be any treatment anyway, so just let it heal.

1 year later it was still sore and making me walk funny, so I went to the GP who sent me to the fracture clinic, where it was xrayed, and they confirmed the two breaks, which were misaligned in the way they’d healed. They were talking about surgery to pin/fuse the joint and all sorts. Fortunately some special toe physio fixed it, but it ended up being quite the palaver.

In hindsight getting the xray straight away would have been much easier!

Maybe silly of me but I stubbed my toe badly a few months ago, it bruised up and was sore for ages, even a little bit now still. It's the little toe next to my (pinky?) so not an important one, NHS advice seemed to be just walk it off unless you can't actually walk on it.

I sympathise, I'm on mat leave and just felt like it wasn't a big enough deal on top of everything else.

I think if you did get a GP appointment if would result in you being sent to minor injuries for an X-ray. I’m so sorry you’ve got so much on and can see why it’s overwhelming. Is there anyone who can help you with toddler care and/or go to clinic with you to support you and watch little one? Perhaps also book appointment with GP to discuss stress? Perhaps a little bit of time off to regroup and get toe sorted too?

you make the time. Your health is more important than your job.
You arrange childcare for your daughter (emergency if necessary), call your work to say you have to have an x ray after a foot injury and you go.

I just can’t believe you asked it to be escalated for a suspected broken toe without even googling it just because it’s not convenient for you to go to minor injuries. GPs aren’t there to be convenient for you, they’re there as a first port of call to triage, often for serious conditions like cancer or neurological issues. They can’t tell you if you’ve broken a bone in your toe as they don’t have the equipment. I can’t believe how entitled you are quite frankly.

I know it must be stressful being a single parent but maybe living in a very rural location is not the best situation for you at the moment.

It's your big toe, so you need to go to minor injuries to have the x-ray.

It's unfortunate that it's going to be inconvenient logistically. I do sympathise... but sometimes we just have to suck it up and do these things.

This tells you everything you need to know:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-toe/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The GP is right. Read the above and that will help you decide whether you can look after it at home or whether you need to go to minor injuries.

I fractured my elbow in two places. The triage nurse said she didn’t think it was broken… the x-ray said otherwise. So if a qualified A&E professional who sees broken bones everyday cannot tell them your gp can’t either. I have broken all the toes on my right foot. No treatment needed I went to A&E the first time and then didn’nt bother as I just treated it like the previous times.

Big toe it does! It even says so on the nhs website