Fifth time lucky for 'broken arm' toddler

The second cast was temporary, the third tight and uncomfortable and the fourth fell off.

The run of bad luck started when18-month-old twin Kaylee Benn fell off a slide at a birthday party and broke her right arm.

Last week the Observer reported Conquest staff plastered her left arm while her father Alistair concentrated on calming her down, not noticing the mistake until he got home to Jubilee Road.

The hospital paid for a return taxi trip so they could plaster Kaylee's right arm.

The Conquest apologised and said they would put procedures in place to make sure it did not happen again.

When Kaylee returned to the hospital for a full cast her parents Alistair and Sarah hoped the drama was over.

But cast might be too tight when Kaylee could not move her fingers.

Alistair took Kaylee back to the Conquest but they were told her good circulation indicated there was no problem.

They called a taxi and went home again, with each trip costing 9 each way.

Then the hospital telephoned and asked for Kaylee to be brought back for another check.

This time the hospital footed the taxi fare.

When they returned doctors changed the cast as it was clearly uncomfortable for Kaylee.

But by Sunday, Kaylee was back in hospital. Her cast fell off when she was playing with her five-month-old brother Liam in his cot.

Cast number five was put on.

The regular hospital trips have been an upheavel for all the family and has left Kaylee unable to sleep.

Alistair said:"Kaylee can't understand why she has to keep going back to hospital and she screams the place down every time.

"I have had to sleep on the sofa with her for the past week - she just can't settle in her bed."

A Conquest spokesman said:"Kaylee returned to hospital where her arm and plaster were examined. The cast was not too tight but was uncomfortable and restricting the movements of Kaylee's fingers. We therefore changed the cast. This new cast came off three days later, on Sunday, when Kaylee was playing with her brother in his cot. She attended the hospital where she received a new plaster.

"In younger children, such as Kaylee, it is not uncommon for a cast to come off because their arms are so supple. With injuries of this kind we generally offer parents a choice of cast: above the elbow with less chance of coming off, or a cast below the elbow which allows the child more movement but has the potential to slip off."

The hospital are in talks with the Benn's solicitor about compensation.

The initial mistake of plastering the wrong arm is being investigated.