Decision Report 201809991

Summary

Mr C complained about the treatment which he received at the A&E of Borders General Hospital. Mr C said the doctor failed to diagnose that he had suffered a fracture and dislocation of a finger and that the injury was only picked up a few weeks later following further x-rays being taken.

We took independent advice from an A&E consultant. We found that the doctor who saw Mr C at A&E carried out an appropriate assessment. The doctor could not identify a fracture from the x-ray which was taken and arranged a review at a Virtual Fracture Clinic. The injury was also not identified at the clinic. It was only when further x-rays were taken after a couple of weeks that the fracture and dislocation were identified. Mr C had suffered a rare injury and although the correct diagnosis was not reached at A&E, this did not mean that the treatment was not to an appropriate standard. We did not uphold the complaint.