Two weeks to diagnose fractured ankle

Shirley Downe was involved in a car accident in Piggery Hall Lane, East Wittering on May 14 and was taken to St Richard's Hospital by emergency services.

She was x-rayed but told she had suffered a sprain and was sent home to recover.

Although the doctors reassured her it was nothing serious, Mrs Downe said she knew deep down it was something more.

"I knew something was wrong with it because of the pain and the strange colours my foot was going, it was just black and blue.

"I've been in great pain for two weeks, walking on it, and I just want to know how they managed to miss the fact it was broken."

"They said I'd sprained it, but my leg was swelling like a balloon, and the pain was quite horrific. They discharged me and said to go home and try to walk on it.

"Obviously I had no crutches, I had no painkillers. When they phoned me to say it was broken, I was quite shocked. They didn't really say anything, just that these things happen sometimes."

After the call, on May 28 Mrs Downe's husband Paul whisked her from their Nyetimber home to Bognor Hospital to have it properly examined and she was also given an appointment to see the fracture clinic at St Richard's Hospital.

"St Richard's is meant to be this wonderful hospital and everything, yet it's taken two weeks to diagnose a broken foot," said her husband.

"How can they miss something like this, when they are the so-called experts? She's been popping painkillers and she hasn't been able to go to work or do anything.

"I could understand if it had been a couple of days afterwards when they rang up, but not two weeks. I just think it's really bad."

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