"4 year old with head injury refused treatment -..."

We (myself and two children) arrived at the minor injury unit before 8.00pm, the unit is supposed to accept patients until 8.30pm with a view to closing at 9.00pm, but we were turned away!

My four year old daughter had previously needed stitches on her chin and had fallen and reopened the wound.

The initial stitches had been done there.

I saw a receptionist and two nurses (the nurses wouldn't have spoken to me at all if I hadn't complained) but no-one would assist my daughter - I understand there was something else happening in the unit that was taking priority (even though they were still taking people from the waiting area and dealing with them too).

Incidentally, the unit is supposed to have a priority based system not a first come first served system but no-one assessed my daughter prior to turning us away.

We were expected to make our own way to Musgrove Park Hospital (a hospital already under pressure due to the withdrawal of Weston General Hospital's night service).

I tried to speak to some-one higher up but the receptionist said there wasn't anyone other than the nurses, I could not establish who the duty manager was.

No-one asked if my daughter needed pain relief.

My scared, upset 4 year old daughter was expected to care for her own wound in the back of a car in the dark whilst I drove her a further 18 miles.

After insisting on being given a pad for the journey to replace her blood covered cotton wool/tissue I was handed that.

My daughter needed stitches and glue which was done by the wonderful team at Musgrove!