"Frightening!"

What could be improved

I went over on my ankle in February 2011 and was sure that I had broken it as I heard and felt the bone break. My ankle was very painful and I went to A & E. I waited for an hour and a half. When I got seen I explained that I was sure I had broken a bone. The nurse who saw to me said that I had torn a ligament and it was a 6-8 week recovery period. I asked her if she could take an x-ray to check but she said that it was not necessary in the case of a torn ligament. 8 weeks later and my ankle was still not right. I had a couple of physio appts then eventually asked for a referral to see a consultant. The ankle was finally x-rayed in August and lo and behold there is a broken bone. I am now awaiting an operation in the New Year to sort it out- almost a year on since the fracture occurred.

You need to take a thorough history examination and special tests like radiographs before you can make a diagnosis!

I would ask the nurse in question whether she would have treated a member of her own family in the same way that I was treated?