"I feel that communication was flawed"

I recently tripped over my own feet upstairs in my house, I fell and hit the frame of a door then fell to the floor, I hurt my shoulder, elbow and my head. My son and husband had to help me to sitting position, but I was in so much pain I was crying and thought I would pass out.

An ambulance was called and I was given pain relief, my husband and son got me on my feet and helped me to the ambulance, both paramedics I could not fault.

I arrived at the hospital and taken into trauma. I had to wait for approx 30 mins to see the trauma nurse, the paramedics did their handover and said bye, the nurse who assessed me said they thought my shoulder was broken so they would send me to Minor Injuries, although it wasn't.

I was on a trolley sitting up and in a corridor across from the doctors station, the pain was unbearable, I was there for approx an hour. I was starting to cry with the pain, a doctor looked over to me and asked my name, they then said they would get me in a room and gave me something for the pain, eventually I was seen by a doctor who examined me and said I'd need to go for an x-ray.

I had the x-ray then back to wait for a doctor to look at it, eventually I was told I'd broken my humerus and elbow, no one examined my head, I was told that a collar and cuff sling should bring my arm back in line. Once in the sling I was sent for another x-ray

The x-ray department  said they did not want to expose me to another x-ray, after a call to the doctor I was x-rayed again. On return from x-ray I was sent round to the orthopaedic trauma assessment dept and eventually seen by a doctor, who now told me that the bone was too displaced and I'd need an operation to repair, which was explained to me, I had seen the x-ray and could see the damage. I asked when this would be as the pain was excruciating, they said they didn't know. They said they would give me some pain relief. I asked if I could take dihydracodine as my husband had then and they said yes and I was sent home. I had been at hospital for over 6 hours.

I had to sit in a chair at home, I couldn't lie down and couldn't sleep. Next day I had a call from a nurse asking if I could come in for a CT scan on the Friday morning. Had that and sent home, by now I had no feeling in my upper arm, no sleep the whole weekend.

On the Monday I was called and asked if I could attend trauma assessment the next morning. Arrived for 9 and about an hour later seen by an orthopaedic surgeon, who again told me I'd need an operation. Couldn't tell me when, they examined me and saw I had no feeling in my upper arm. Eventually the consultant came in, examined me, noted I had no feeling in my upper arm. They asked the other doctor if this had been noted, they said yes, they told me that the ball in my shoulder was shattered in 4 places, which I didn't know. I asked when I'd have the operation, they said it might be that day.

5 mins later the anaesthesiologist came in and the consultant said now. 5 hours in surgery, unrepairable, new ball and socket.

Just couldn't believe with the damage and pain it took a week for something to be done. Nothing said about my elbow or my head.

The consultant was very good, can't fault them, I just feel that communication was flawed, everyone I saw asked what happened, did the same things and said the same things. I don't know why I was sent home and left to get on with it.