Compensation awarded after repeated misdiagnose of fracture
A catalogue of misdiagnosis by qualified medical staff left a woman walking on a fractured ankle for over 5 months.
Claudia fell badly whilst out walking with her dog. She was in a lot of pain and her ankle had swollen drastically. She attended her doctors' surgery and saw a Nurse who agreed that her left foot appeared twisted and suggested x-rays were taken.
It was the hospital doctor who reviewed the x-rays that initially failed to spot the fracture diagnosing her injury instead as a sprain.
However her foot worsened. She returned to the Minor Injuries Department who again advised her that she had suffered a sprain and referred her for physiotherapy.
Throughout the months to come Claudia consulted two GP's, two physiotherapists and a nurse all of whom failed to adequately review her injury despite her pain.
During this time Claudia was left to deal with excruciating pain and grew increasingly frustrated. Unable to walk even small distances meant she was reliant on others to help carry out daily chores such as shopping. She struggled to look after her young dog and was only able to struggle to the end of the road with him each day.
It was not until she spoke with another GP who had been visiting her neighbour that he suggested she came back to the surgery.
This time the GP raised concern that her ankle had still not healed after such a long period of time and referred her to an orthopaedic consultant. A series of x-rays were taken and compared with the original x-ray. It was very clear that Claudia had sustained a badly fractured ankle.
"Such a fracture should have had a plaster cast applied straight away," told Frances Letchford, the clinical negligence specialist dealing with Claudia's case.
"But because of the time lapse Claudia had to undergo an operation which involved stabilising the fracture by way of insertion of wires and cutting out damaged tissues. Depending on how well her ankle heals there is the prospect of a yet another needless operation."
"We are delighted to have been able to secure compensation for Claudia after all the avoidable pain and suffering she went through."
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