...to think this is malpractice?

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My husband fell on ice on Wednesday and dislocated his knee and fractured it in two places. He was admitted to a&e by ambulance, assessed, the knee clicked back into place in the process. They gave him an x ray and said he would have surgery to pin it the next day. They gave him crutches to use but he was too weak and collapsed, banging his head. A CT scan was done to check his head. They then released us with meds and told him not to eat after midnight and wait for a call. Since then (it's Friday now) we've chased and chased, we've tried the fracture clinic, our GP and PAL. We just get sent round in circles. The trauma nurse called us last night and said they would call us when they wanted him in but she didn't know when it would be. He wasn't released with any paperwork, we don't know who his consultant is and when we tried to find out they just didn't pick up and we rang off after 30 mins. His pain meds run out on Sunday. AIBU to be shocked at the way we're being treated? He was given crutches and a brace but he can't use the crutches as he's too weak, and I'm practically dragging him to the bathroom. I don't know what to do, is this normal??

Chasing an OP date has nothing to do with the GP, they won't have any different numbers to chase people and will ask you to contact the hospital directly.
However, once your husband has recovered, he does need to see the GP for an assessment of his mobility issues!

No need to keep a 48 year old in with fractures.

It's easy to double fracture and dislocate following a fall on ice. No need for any added false drama about flags 🙄🙄

No need for any 🙄🙄either, eh?

This post fiends for a hospital admission and compensation.
Your follow up sounds appropriate, he is healthy enough to stay at home to await his operation. A painful, non infective joint does not require 24 hour medical care, whether the NHS is overburdened or not.
If you do not feel his pain relief is adequate then then get in touch with the GP. A&E departments will not look after you unless you are physically in them.
Most importantly, given his mobility is compromised, have they provided anti coagulation therapy?
Does he drive at all? If so you need to get his neurological concerns investigated and addressed. If a man can’t work a pair of crutches at the age of 48 due to coordination issues this is a huge concern. additionally given he didn’t break his fall and banged his head.

Very good point about his driving. It sounds like he's been trying to deny what is happening to him, but you, OP, must not deny what he might do to other people.

I'm sorry your DH is in pain and that his surgery has been delayed. The delay may have been unavoidable with current case-levels but the lack of communication is a problem.

I'd focus on the right-now problem first. If he's not able to use crutches around his own home then a zimmer frame might be needed both now and after surgery. If your GP practice is open tomorrow morning I would ask if they have one that can be borrowed out for now (or ask your own local contacts if anyone has one in storage). Call 111 if your own GP isn't open.

Others are right that it's unusual and very concerning that he isn't able to use crutches even over short distances. That needs to be discussed with the hospital so post-operative care can be adjusted and physiotherapy will need to know as well. If he's reluctant to be open with them then you need to put your own foot down on taking on an at-home caring setup that will be unsafe for both of you. Once the knee is repaired the cause of the weakness/coordination issues needs to be addressed, starting with a conversation with his GP.

Usually just walking about is fine, he's just not very "steady" on uneven surfaces and can't correct himself easily if he trips.

OP's husband, who is only 48, also has trouble walking in non-icy conditions. There's a lot going on here that needs to be dealt with.

Of course it is malpractice to send someone home (when they themselves have said he shouldn’t have been discharged), to tell them not to eat and then leave them with no information not way of contacting them.

HOWEVER with everyone who works as a hcp or has a family member who is a hcp screaming about how under resourced the nhs is, good luck trying to get anyone to recognise it as such.

funny thing is, they don’t realise they are shooting themselves in the foot - by running to deny the negative outcomes of the underfunding of the nhs, they literally help get the nhs off scot free. If patients were encouraged to kick up a fuss every time something like this happened (because nhs staff aren’t enabled to do their jobs) the government would be forced to publicly investigate the mess they’re creating. They would be publicly force to face the scale of the problem they’re creating.

I mean, we all know how bad the Nhs is right? Well that’s just the tip of the iceberg - Imagine if everyone who was neglected because staff just don’t have the capacity to to their jobs properly put it on record.

anyway, yes. Your husband is clearly not well - you don’t need a medical degree to know a man who is 48 with no diagnosed medical conditions should not come crashing down on his head on a pair of crutches. To discharge this man IS neglectful. No matter WHAT causes the neglectful treatment - it is still neglect. But this is the nhs now. He came in for his knee - and damn it that is all they’ll address.

You need to call 111 - say he has been struggling with coordination (and strength/any other symptoms) for a little while but it has gradually been getting worse he’s now fallen, broken his knee etc and is now unable to move etc - essentially saying he is suddenly taking a turn for the worse and can’t get to the loo unaided etc. He needs to get back in the system and the only way is to bully your way back up to the top of the list. Even if you just end up at the out of hours gp it is better than nothing.

Edited to add: someone who takes things literally, or who has problems with nuance, decision making, etc may have no eaten for a long time. Imagine an older person living alone who stoically didn’t eat because they were told they shouldn’t because they were going to get surgery. It could’ve ended in dehydration or low blood sugar etc etc

Medical negligence solicitor here.

Broadly speaking, breach of duty happens when care falls below that expected of a reasonably competent clinician. In this case, a reasonable body of clinicians would have most likely taken the same action.

It’s the pressures on the under-resourced NHS. No court is going to award you compensation for being at the bottom of priorities on a (probably long) surgical waiting list.

I’d contact the fracture clinic to request a further prescription for analgesia. Obviously he can’t stay nil by mouth indefinitely so ask them if he can have light meals until he’s called in. Other than that, you’re going to have to sit tight and wait unless you can afford to go private.

For all those forecasting the worst possible doom because the OP's DH has crappy balance and can't manoeuvre on crutches, it's quite possible he has something relatively ordinary like dyspraxia, which isn't something you grow out of and it isn't something that was diagnosed readily back in the 80s. I had crutches for a short period of time as an adult and I felt like there was Benny Hill music following me round everywhere I went.

He might have something dreadfully wrong with him but I'd start with the obvious before moving to the terminal, and in the meantime OP I hope he gets his surgery sorted soon.

He still needs to get it looked into though, doesn't he? And like a man, he hasn't.

Sounds about right for the NHS. Don't know their arse from their elbow

A couple of years ago dd damaged her knee during her sport. After 10 hours in the hospital a&e (which was horrific) and an x-ray, she was seen by a nurse and they sent her home with a knee brace and a crutch saying they would call with an appointment in 72 hours. That was on the Thursday.
Dd called on the Monday to be told they couldn't find her.

I'm not a pushover, so called back to be told first that they had not been referred properly by GP, to which they were advised we had been in A&E, then they said that the treatment plan had changed. I was furious and insisted on knowing who had changed the plan without discussing it with the patient- we were offered an appointment the next day.

In her case, it was soft tissue that needed stitching back together, and the sooner it was done, the better the outcome. Getting her to the point of the operation was an absolute shit show (the amazing consultants asked us to complain) and again I had to push for it.

Sadly, this seems to be normal now where we are. Please don't be afraid to advocate for your husband, be polite but firm and get him seen.

@notatinydancer I’m genuinely surprised that it’s not considered necessary to keep someone in hospital who has fractures that prevent them weight bearing. Maybe I’ve just been ‘lucky’ as when I’ve broken bones in my heel or leg I’ve been admitted. I was waiting for two weeks, in hospital, following fracturing my calcaneum, whilst the swelling went down.

Thank you all for your thoughts, suggestions and advice.
We've booked a private consultation for Thursday and will be attending a different A&E if I can't manage his pain or manoeuvre him until then.
I think all of our anxiety could have been managed by better communication, if we just knew what was going on. But nobody has the time to talk to patients and their families it seems. You're just a number in a database. I get more communication from the garage when I take my car in for an MOT, or from the vets about my dog.
The comments about his mobility I've taken on board and will have to insist he gets looked into as he recovers and beyond. Thank you, your words have been a massive help in putting my mind at rest that we've not been forgotten, the NHS just isn't fit for purpose anymore.

It sounds like he's got underlying issues and needs a referral for neurology.

In the meantime 111 and explain that he's unable to toilet unaided as he really oughtn't to be left for the entire weekend.

PS sorry, just spotted your update