Doctors take two weeks to diagnose broken arm

A HOLLYWOOD mum is furious that doctors at the Alexandra Hospital took almost two weeks to diagnose her six-year-old daughter's broken arm.

Sue Wing-Crudgington is also angry that at no time during the 13-day ordeal was her daughter Georgia offered pain relief.

Last week, the Advertiser revealed the Alex had come under fire in a new report by the Healthcare Commission for not administering pain relief to fracture patients quickly enough.

Georgia was admitted to the Woodrow hospital's accident and emergency department after falling from a trampoline in their garden.

After waiting for two hours without being offered any pain relief, they were told the arm was just bruised and did not require an X-ray.

Mrs Wing-Crudgington said: "I was told to give her some Nurofen when we got home and that she was fine. At the time she was very distraught."

But four days after the accident, Mrs Wing-Crudgington was still not satisfied that her daughter's arm was getting any better so took her to the local doctor.

"The doctor also said that Georgia's arm was fine, to take the support off, which I had put on, as that was making her think her arm was worse than it was," said the Dark Lane mum.

More than a week later, Mrs Wing-Crudgington and her daughter returned to the Alex where, after a three-hour wait, was told by a doctor that she needed an X-ray, which revealed Georgia's arm to be badly broken.

"I feel we have been badly let down by our local hospital.

"My daughter had a broken arm for 13 days before it was correctly diagnosed and put into plaster," she said.

A Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust spokeswoman said: "We sympathise with Mrs Wing-Crudgington and ask that she writes to us directly with her concerns which we can then look into and respond to her directly."