Decision Report 201306131

Summary

Mr C said the board unreasonably failed to provide the correct care and treatment on two occasions when he attended Stobhill Hospital with an ankle injury. He said that a piece of bone below his ankle bone should have been recognised and he should have been referred to a consultant orthopaedic surgeon much sooner. Mr C also said that during his first attendance, the board failed to tell him that he had a piece of bone below his ankle bone.

We obtained independent advice on the complaint from an emergency medicine consultant. The adviser said that the examination and investigation Mr C received at the hospital, leading to the conclusion of a soft tissue injury, was reasonable on both occasions. He said there were no failings by the board in Mr C's management, as on both occasions his x-rays were reported as normal by the radiology department, this was reported back to Mr C's GP and he did not need to be recalled. The adviser said that if Mr C had ongoing problems with his ankle the appropriate action would have been review by his GP and referral to the orthopaedic service.

Mr C's medical records did not indicate that the emergency nurse practitioner who saw him on his first attendance advised him about the piece of bone. However, the adviser said there were no failings by the board in the management of Mr C's case and the conclusion that he had a soft tissue injury was reasonable. Therefore, on balance, we did not find it unreasonable that the board did not tell Mr C about the piece of bone.