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Case ref:201809991
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Date:September 2020
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Body:Borders NHS Board
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Sector:Health
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Outcome:Not upheld, no recommendations
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Subject:clinical treatment / diagnosis
Summary
Mr C complained about the treatment which he received at the A&E of Borders General Hospital. Mr C said the doctor failed to diagnose that he had suffered a fracture and dislocation of a finger and that the injury was only picked up a few weeks later following further x-rays being taken.
We took independent advice from an A&E consultant. We found that the doctor who saw Mr C at A&E carried out an appropriate assessment. The doctor could not identify a fracture from the x-ray which was taken and arranged a review at a Virtual Fracture Clinic. The injury was also not identified at the clinic. It was only when further x-rays were taken after a couple of weeks that the fracture and dislocation were identified. Mr C had suffered a rare injury and although the correct diagnosis was not reached at A&E, this did not mean that the treatment was not to an appropriate standard. We did not uphold the complaint.