"Refused treatment for my 8 year old's head injury"

My 8 year old son had an accident at school and had a large egg-sized lump and graze on the back of his head. I took him to my local GP to get him checked over but there were no Doctors available until one and a half hours later. I decided to take him to the Victoria Hospital in Wimborne after checking on the Internet that they were open until 4.30pm and that they dealt with head injuries.

I arrived at the MIU Reception desk at 3.55pm (after hunting around for a parking space outside) and was told that they were closing and there were no Doctors available. I stressed that my son had a head injury (he was holding a tea towel to his head) and because my son was crying and distressed the person on Reception said they would speak to a Doctor to get someone to look at him. Then a person, who I assumed to be a Doctor but I cannot be sure as they did not introduce them self and I did not take their name or rank, came to see us. They told us that they were with their last patient of the day and therefore could not see my son. I said to them "I just want someone to check his head. How can you turn him away when you can see the state he is in?" And they still said no, that they were unable to see him and told me to go to A&E at Poole. I told them I'd already wasted an hour trying to see a GP and then here, and that time could be important with head injuries. I also told them that my son was still in pain after I'd already given him paracetamol. By this stage he was crying a lot and was very worried (I had reassured him on the way to the hospital that somebody would be able to help us there, after we had no luck with the GP). I was anxious that time was ticking on, so I left and drove as fast as I could to Poole, with my son crying in the back the whole time.

No-one looked at my son's head to see how much it was bleeding or how large the lump was. I have to say that the Receptionists at the Victoria were helpful and even they seemed shocked that we were turned away without being seen by anyone. This experience has put me off ever using this hospital again; next time I will go straight to A&E at Poole.