"Newark Minor Injuries Unit"

After a follow up from a fall in Cornwall and injury to my elbow, I was contacted when home by the Cornwall hospital to have my elbow re xrayed locally to confirm their diagnosis - chipped bone - but they stated the treatment should continue as advised, ie to keep arm moving.

As I thought this essentially to be a confirmation of this diagnosis, I went to Newark Minor Injuries Unit, not expecting to have my arm put in an L shaped cast and be booked into Kinsgmill Fracture Clinic.

As I live equidistant between Lincoln and Newark, I asked to change to Lincoln, which was not possible unless I did this myself.

So I did.

Newark provided sealed notes, but failed to include the all important XRAY (hard copy or digitised).

Subsequently I had to have my arm re xrayed in Lincoln, and coincidently was seen at the Lincoln Fracture Clinic by both a Consultant and Registrar, who both agreed no need for a cast, keep moving and no further treatment required, other than some exercises.

Apart from the different decision by Newark (2 out of 3 hospitals said no cast, in fact Lincoln went so far as to say my arm could set in an L position) this resulted in incurred cost to the NHS and inconvenience to the patient, not to mention a badly fitting cast cutting into my wrist for several days, and being left to walk out of their unit with a gown open at the back as I could not get dressed. So much too for the NHS emphasis on 'Dignity'.

All I can say is that I can understand the Inadequate Rating I now know Newark to have, and will endeavour to avoid it in future.