A young man has obtained compensation for a failure to diagnose a fractured bone in his wrist.
He had attended A&E after he injured his wrist playing football. An X-ray was taken and no fracture was visible, but his wrist was placed in a splint as fractures to the scaphoid bone, a small bone in the wrist, are not always immediately visible. However, when he attended the fracture clinic for a follow-up appointment, he was told that he had a soft tissue injury.
A few months later, he was still experiencing pain in his wrist. He saw a physiotherapist, who referred him to an urgent treatment centre. Another X-ray was taken which showed a fracture of the scaphoid bone. He underwent surgery and was in a cast for six weeks, after which his wrist was again placed in a splint.
After he sought legal advice, medical evidence was obtained which indicated that the scaphoid fracture should have been diagnosed at the fracture clinic appointment. Had that happened, he would not have suffered ongoing pain and restricted movement and would have made a full recovery much sooner, without having to undergo surgery.
The NHS trust responsible for his care denied that it had breached its duty of care to him and that an earlier diagnosis would have avoided the need for surgery. Following negotiations, however, a settlement of his claim for £28,000 was agreed.