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.

Just take her to A&E - no point waiting for this error to be rectified when you could go and get it sorted now.

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

With one hand?

I've had a similar issue before where my DS was told he'd not broken his ankle and in fact, he had.

I also went with him to the walk in centre. They are often subcontracted for the NHS and I swear their main aim is to get you in and out as soon as possible.

He's recovered now but I wish we'd taken him directly to A&E (and also when he dislocated his knee another time).

Walk in centres might see you more quickly but they often don't have fracture clinics on site. An A&E often does.

If you've not done it already, I'd go with her to A&E now. Explain that you've been referred but nothing is happening, the closest hospital doesn't know about it and the further away one is doing nothing and she needs pain control and stabilisation of it now so as to not cause more damage. She may get to see someone in the fracture clinic the same day. She may not but at least it's progress. Take lots of snacks, books, iPad, phones etc and be prepared for a long wait but much better than she's had so far. What's the worst that can happen? They turn you away after 24 hours? So what? At least you've tried.

Pals too.

I've had issues with referrals being lost or rejected for similar. Raise merry hell. Official complaint. Also contact PALS.

You sound like you are out of area for one hospital.

We were but they didn't have service available in my area so typical to refer to this hospital given where we live anyway but the trust normally refers to another hospital - but that much further away as we live opposite side of our trust

Make a fuss. And yes consider A&E. This is a child in pain and the beau rats are pissing about refusing care because of their budgets.

And cancel the cheque whilst you’re there! 😂

Has she not already been to A&E where an XRay was taken and then reviewed by orthopaedics who disagreed with A&E conclusion and want her seen in the fracture clinic?

I would ventire that if the fracture is simple enough to be missed in A&E it probably does not need surgical intervention.

A&E often provides temporary advice/support in the event of a break and it is usual.to be called in for review in the fracture clinic and surgery if required.. This has happened to me dc and to me.

The issue is with the referral to the fracture clinic and the op needs to sort that out pronto. In the meantime, further advice re pain relief/stability of the fractire may be required, either from GP, Minor injuries or A&E but I am not persuaded A&E will or can do more than refer to fracture clinic.

The NHS is not good in relation to breaks/follow up u less they are immediate emergencies needing surgery straight away.

I fracture my elbow and have a shoulder rotor cuff injury due to a fall which happened in November. Was seen at A&E and told I'd get a call from the fracture clinic, heard nothing, but I'm pretty sure there's not alot bat a sling for that.
I had to get my GP to book an appointment at the musculoskeletal unit as A&E forgot that to.

Eventually after chasing I was given an appointment to assess the rotor cuff injury in February and told at that appointment that I'd need an MRI to assess the damage before they'll treat me as I can't lift my up, its so so painful and I'm still waiting for that despite calling up and enquiring as to hiw far down the list I am.

I had this with my DS before Christmas with a broken fibula. Basically gave him a boot and said someone will be in touch, he could need an op or not🤷‍♀️ this was a Friday afternoon.

After him being in agony all weekend, we tried to phone the hospital and just kept getting put through to an answer machine or virtual assistant 😵‍💫

In the end I spoke to the receptionist and demanded to be put through to a real person as he was in agony. That person was the Trauma Coordinator and she got things done and was a point of contact. And yes, he did need it plated.

Was a bit of a shit shower afterwards due to the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing etc (one fantastic physio trying to sort things out behind the scenes when it wasn’t even her job but felt DS had been messed about too much).

hope you manage to speak to someone

Just to to A&E

I would go to A & E, and be prepared for a lengthy wait. My youngest broke her wrist, A & E were very sniffy and said we should have gone to MIU but I stood my ground. Only the nurse who plastered it didn't set it right, and by the next morning DD was nearly fainting with pain and her hand started swelling. We had to sit there for another 12 hours before they took the plaster off and someone from the fracture clinic saw us to replaster it as I wouldn't let the same nurse anywhere near her.

She could be causing much more damage by not immobilising it.

Yes this OP.

Just go to A&E.

Hopefully it's minor - I had a fracture in a bone in my elbow and treatment was a sling and painkillers. But you do have to be properly assessed to determine whether that's the right thing so take her to A&E.

I broke my wrist and my ulna, just below the elbow. They only plastered my wrist.

I should have said. When my son did break his ankle, it was missed because the injury was minor. "He" eventually was given a phone call by the fracture clinic who deemed it not serious enough to see him face to face but this was only about 4-5 days later. They said to me he should "continue to use his crutches".

"Er, what crutches?"

What they didn't know is the walk in centre refused to issue any as did my GP. In the end we had to order some off Amazon which his school almost then didn't let him return with as they'd "not been set up by a medical professional".

Unfortunately in this situation we had a GP which is a private business, a walk in centre which is also private but contracted to the NHS and a hospital. Every one of them is trying to protect their budget and the result is ordering essential medical kit online.

@emilysquest - A private A&E?! I was under the impression they don’t exist… please may you tell me where this one is (ie which hospital)?! Thanks!!

(I said "he" because by the time they called, he was back at school because we'd sorted it.)

Go to A&E as soon as possible. If you leave it too long it could heal in the wrong position.

All A and E will do is refer to fracture clinic
tbh I doubt you’d get past triage

chase fracture clinics

Yes, this is my experience too (albeit not orthopaedics) hence suggesting OP try the root cause of switching the referral.

A&E cases are divided up in different ways and a trauma fracture will direct you to the 'injuries' unit. If you haven't gone to A&E because you think you'll be sat there for hours with the tummy ache timewasters, you won't. IME, of course.

I’ve broken that bone, they do nothing and tell you to rehab doing light weight bearing exercises. This was not in the uk, think the world’s most expensive healthcare system who usually love to refer you for extra treatments but the only thing that heals it is time. Physio was an option but wasn’t required

I would go back to A&E. My neighbours son broke his elbow on Saturday, in and out in 2 hours, home with a cast on and follow up appointment in clinic given. It doesn’t seem to be very well managed. Hope she is ok.

The referral hasn't been lost or rejected. It's just gone to a different hospital who've said she's on the fracture clinic list?

Ps if it’s a crack on the radius bone where I had it on the elbow, the pain subsided after 2 weeks, yes you need a proper medical appointment but please don’t panic, it is something that will be fine

I'd go to A&E. Every broken bone I've known of has been patched up in A&E and in fracture clinic the next working day. She shouldn't be left this long with a broken bone and no specialist advice.