Broken arm - can’t get seen by NHS - help please

[BrokenarmbrokenNHS]

I don’t know how to get my dd help - please could anyone advise?

My dd has an accident at school last week (Thursday). I took her for an xray at minor injuries and they said they didn’t think it was broken. A day later we had a phone call to say it was indeed broken and dd is in a lot of pain. I think it’s the radius bone as it goes into the elbow. They said they would refer to the fracture clinic and we had a choice of 2 hospitals as we are between hospitals. So I chose the more convenient one. This was on Friday on the phone.

My DD’s elbow has now been broken for 5 days. We have been referred to the wrong hospital, but I thought I will not worry about that, I will just go to it even though it’s an hour from her school. But they will not give me an appointment. I was supposed to wait to hear from them, they haven’t called. I’ve called them directly and they say she’s on some bloody list.

meanwhile my y13 dd has a broken elbow with nothing other than a sling and is shitting herself about buggering her A levels up this summer due to not being able to write and being in loads of pain.

What am I supposed to do? Why can’t we get help? This is crazy to leave a fracture for 5 days with nobody giving a shit. I foolishly thought the NHS still dealt with emergencies. I have no idea what to do. Please help.

A&E. I'm more baffled by you sitting at home for the last 3 days than the referral cock up to be honest.

I too would just go to A&E

I'd just say I'd been told to come in. Appointment my huge behind, it can at least be triaged and given some proper support.

Any reason why you haven’t gone to A&E!?

I broke a bone in my elbow, they cannot set it. I had a sling for a few weeks, then a bit of physio. It was very painful, more so than a regular broken arm.

If you go to A&E @BrokenarmbrokenNHS make sure it is a full trauma A&E with surgical.provision and orthopaedic registrars on site. My local hospital is classed as A&E rather than minor injuries but has no facility for emergency surgery and no orthopaedics on site.

Or

You email PALs stating the facts, the failire to identify the fracture in A&E and the delays and copy it to the ceo and your local MP. That will get them moving.

Or

You look up the hospital website and identify their arm specialists (often shoulder or hand listed). Then see if they also work privately from a local private hospital and make an appointment. They will want a new XRay so probs £500 - if she needs surgery they will refer back to NHS if you can't pay.

I wish I did not know the above.

Go to A&E. You don't want to risk the bone starting to heal again the wrong places!

I’d have gone to A&E days ago.

Not necessarily is it a sling. I broke mine 45 years ago and was in traction for four weeks - I suspect they do this with pins and a cast now. Go to A&E - they have had long enough to sort this out and I would make a complaint after it has been treated, as it sounds like their processes need some work.

The weight of the elbow when in a sling is used to hold it in the right place. Usually a collar and cuff sling, that can’t be removed at all. Unusual for it to be put in a cast.

A & E is the best option….and take her now.

I'm pretty sure that you DD should be able to have a scribe for her exams if she is unable to write, so please tell her not to stress over that. I do hope you get the fracture seen to asap one way or another.

They’ve probably left it because the treatment is a sling, but poor of them not to have explained that.

We had a similar issue. 10 yo son broke his elbow. A and e said come back to fracture clinic next days for cast. Went back and clinic was shut. Sent to another hospital they hadn't been warned and couldn't fit us in. 3 days it took and then it was a crap temp soft cast that didnt keep the arm in place. We had it removed 4 weeks later and the lady said that cast should have been take off after 48hrs and a solid cast applied. Was an absolute joke

I don't think it's relevant that some or all elbow breaks can be treated with a sling only. The point is that no medical professional has reviewed this particular break and decided what treatment is needed.

I agree with others, you need to go to a&e and refuse to leave until a treatment plan is in place.

Can she do her work on a laptop or a computer?

Not quite sure why you’re ignoring the 90% of people telling you to go to a&e, but that is clearly the only viable option left to you.

She can get a scribe but if she needs one she must start practising using one as it takes a bit of getting used to.

Keep it still. It's past the point for icing it but heat may help. Call 111 and they will very likely refer you to a hospital today. If they don't go straight to A&E.

Surely just go to A&E and give her paracetamol?

I’m also baffled as to why you haven’t taken her to A&E.

You go to A&E with a fracture. It needs to be set. They will see you at the fracture clinic about a week later, but you’ve missed a step.

When my dd broke her arm, we had about a 20 minute wait in A&E and whisked right in. Temporary cast within 2 hours and surgery 12 hours after that. The care was excellent and very efficient.

Go to a and e
Go to a and e
Go to a and e
Go to a snd e

As others have said, take her straight to A&E. My daughter broke her elbow earlier this year and had surgery later that day to insert pins. She also needed IV antibiotics to treat an infection during the healing process. Bone breaks can be serious so I wouldn't hesitate to go to hospital. This was at an NHS hospital in the Midlands and I cannot fault the efficiency at which they've treated her and continue to treat her with ongoing check ups.

I would have been in A&E and refusing to leave 4 days ago!