Suffering from a broken bone is painful but also inconvenient as there is a real chance you will face a long wait in Accident & Emergency to have an X-ray, be assessed and then attend the fracture clinic to have a plaster fitted.
However, if your fracture is missed, you may be faced with more complicated issues and possibly even long terms affects. But, how can fractures be missed?
If a doctor examines you and tells you that you have a sprain or a soft tissue injury they probably won’t request an X-ray. You will be sent home and told that your injury will improve over the next few days. However, if you do have a fracture, this will not get better without medical intervention and it may even get worse.
Alternatively, you may have an x-ray where no fracture is spotted, but when your injury does not improve and you are x-rayed again, the fracture is visible.
It is difficult to understand how this type of diagnosis can be missed, especially since x-rays are fantastic diagnostic tools, but as we all know, the NHS are expected to do more for less and are under a great deal of pressure because of financial constraints and staff shortages.
So what can you do if your fracture has been missed and what does the delay in treatment mean for your recovery?
There is a real possibility that your fracture will need extra attention as a result of being left untreated. You may require a cast for a longer length of time and perhaps even surgery to pin the fracture in place. You may also suffer from long term chronic pain or osteoarthritis.
If your fracture was missed, you should talk to us. We offer free and confidential enquiries with our medical negligence department. Contact us today.
Learn more about our orthopaedic injury claims service.
