To not know where to turn for help with this?

[ihowlforyou]

I fell and fractured my ankle a week ago. I was told it’s a stable fracture to be treated like a sprain. I also really tore up my knee, which has been very slow to heal.

A week on and I’m still incredibly swollen, bruised and my ankle is becoming more and more painful. My knee is still very sore, the actual skin is numb but I have pain at the base and top of my kneecap. It also feels a little unstable and I am getting sharp stabbing pains to one side of my kneecap.

My GP isn’t interested. They say that I have to go to physio if I need, as it’s a muscular injury.

Physio has an eight week minimum wait for a video consultation.

This obviously isn’t an A&e situation (shamefully I did go to A&E for the initial injury because it had a very short wait time, it seemed to be a quiet time of day!), and they wouldn’t take a look at my knee anyway as it’s a “superficial injury”.

Minor injuries is now by appointment only in my area and appointments are gone within a minute of opening.

I’ve tried the pharmacy for the graze that isn’t healing but they just say to dress it and keep it clean and it’ll heal “eventually”.

I feel like I’m being turned away at every turn but I’m in so much pain, I’m left feeling sick by lunchtime because my ankle is that sore, and by the end of the day I can’t stand walking around. I have basic physio exercises from my last sprain years ago but I can’t do them, but I can’t be seen by anyone.

Please don’t suggest a private physio assessment, it’s not within my budget at all. AIBU to just feel despondent and like I can’t get help anywhere?

Do you think you are showing a good example to your team?

If that’s all the care that hospital offered you, despite being a staff member then I would wonder about that too.

You can needle all you like but calling in sick is not an option.

I work at a desk so I am fit.

A&e are known at my local hospital for missing fractures and giving the wrong treatment plan.
You should be followed up by fracture clinic. Do you have a fracture clinic attached to your hospital? I would call them tomorrow and explain.

What would they do if you were hit by a bus ?
They'd have to manage without you.
You. Can. Phone. In. Sick.

I’m so glad I read that because now I know what’s going on. Nobody really thinks that so this whole thing is unbelievable now. Thanks and good luck.

Op honestly this thread is actually really sad.
There is absolutely nothing shameful going to a&e when you have a broken ankle and nobody should be made to feel like this.
Also you absolutely can take time off sick for this type of injury if needed. YOU will not be letting your team down, it is your employers responsibility to ensure your work is covered not yours, if they can’t do this THEY are letting the team down

What?

I cannot call in sick. The team I work in is on the bones of its arse already. It’s barely functioning but there’s no budget to hire anyone else. If I go off sick for something like this, patient outcomes will be impacted

Patients like you?

I’ve not been referred so I don’t think I can be, I think I’d need to be referred from a&e

Again....what would they do if you were hit by a bus and had ended up in full body cast or a coma or (worse case) dead?
They would find a way to carry on.

A&e should automatically refer any fracture, and even soft tissue injury.
If it was me, I would call fracture clinic, tell them what’s happened, they’ll see on the system that you’ve been in A&E and hopefully they will be helpful and book you an appointment.
If not, do you have a minor injuries unit you could attend?

Very different situation isn’t it?

Not really.
You have an injury that needs treating.

Yeah I might give them a ring, but I don’t know if they can do much. It just feels like all care has gone downhill. I had a sprain before covid and I was strapped up, given crutches and referred to physio before I had even had a chance to think of it myself.

This time the nurse actually laughed at me when I asked if he could have a look at my knee, which is still pretty banged up. He said a&e isn’t for grazes which I do understand, but it’s now gone manky so I feel like I was justified in asking!

@ihowlforyou hey there. I have just read through the entire thread. Poor you, it sounds like you are going through a lot, and are very anxious about your work situation and in a lot of pain.

Have you heard back from the 111 nurse yet? If you feel you can't contemplate taking any extended time off work right now, maybe take things one day at a time - some previous posters have suggested taking tomorrow off just to get things re checked. I think this is a sensible idea, because at least then you have ticked that box and know where you stand a bit more.

It's really hard to make a decision about anything until you have been reviewed again and I think you would feel better having this done even if the advice remains the same.

Clinical pictures can change all the time and even though one practitioner said something a few days ago, it doesn't mean anything is set in stone.

If all they can offer you is better pain relief that is something.

Good luck. As much as you don't want to let anyone down your team would be even more disadvantaged if you were forced to take long term sick leave if you delay getting something more serious diagnosed. Sending you hugs xx

Of course it is.

I’m just over it. I’m due to go on holiday in eight weeks and at the moment I just can’t contemplate being able to, I want to go to the gym and make the most of the end of summer but i can’t.

I’ve not put in for the nurse call because I feel like it’ll just be more of the same, rest it and ice it and I don’t want to waste anyone else’s time

I'll give you the same advise I gave on your last thread...

JoyfulSpring · 10/09/2026 10:58

Yes I think you should have been referred to the virtual fracture clinic for a fracture. As I said, a&e told me I didn't need a boot but the clinic phoned me the next day to say I needed to have one. I'd call the hospital switchboard and ask to speak to the fracture clinic. Explain the situation to them and ask for advice. It's normal for patients to call them for advice. The GP won't be able to do anything for you as it's the hospital that cared for you. Just call them and ask what to do. It's definitely not attention seeking and no one would see it like that!

Why is it different?
You have an injury that has got worse. If untreated it could get even more worse.
You need to seek medical help and do whatever treatment is required (including time off work) so you can get better and heal.

And unfortunately as I also said last week, my fracture also still throbs 4 months after. It's awful and I know what you're going through. I'd take cocodamol until the pain subsides.

I waited for a fracture clinic call but none came!

I do find it weird that this time, my radiology report isn’t available on the nhs app. It feels like the nurse was almost angry that I had a fracture

(name changed from the last thread because I got some serious grief on there and I’m not in a place to deal with that at all)

I went down a step and went over on my ankle and thought I’d sprained it. Foot up for the weekend then back to work.
Three weeks later I was still in pain went to dr who sent me for an X-ray. Turned out I’d broken a metatarsal in my foot. Immediately I was in plaster up to my knee for 2 weeks followed by a boot for 6 weeks.
Surely a fractured ankle is worse than my injury and no way should you be walking on it without some support at the very least.
Go back to A&E!

@ihowlforyou are you able to get some rest and sleep on things for now, perhaps re-evaluate in the morning? It's getting late and you must be tired x

Because I’ve got a buggered ankle, I’ve not been hit by a bus!