Hospital/doctor or what?

asommerville

asommerville

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Soo if you fell of two weeks ago and didn't let go, therefore being dragged around by horse (never ever again), resulting in a very very painful wrist and hand, but you iced it, sucked it up and carried on. You then fell off the following week, typically in same hand, and then fell off again the following week, typically landing in said hand. You now have a wrist that is painful, even more painful to put pressure on but us not swollen WWYD? I am in no way a drama queen, but my doctor is mince! Advice please I am potentially going to be dragged to A&e and don't want to waste their time!
 
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You will in no way be wasting A&E's time. Yours sounds like a case made for A&E. Your doctor will only send you there for an X-ray anyway. GO
 
A tip - if you can get a docs appointment they can refer you straight to physio, save waiting 4 hours in A&E. A&E really isn't meant for minor injuries, especially ones weeks old. You could go to your minor injuries unit but getting a GP referral will save you sitting around for hours :)
 
annagain said:
You will in no way be wasting A&E's time. Yours sounds like a case made for A&E. Your doctor will only send you there for an X-ray anyway. GO
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This isn't true - a GP will refer straight to X-ray, not a&e. A weeks old injury IS a waste of A&Es time which is meant for emergencies. It is also a waste of OPs time as they will have to wait in A&e then X-ray.

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1050.aspx?categoryid=72&
 
I've been sent directly to A&E by both my GP and my minor injuries unit (didn't know they didn't have x-ray facilities) for separate injuries.

ETA - My GP actually told me off for wasting her time as I "clearly needed an X-ray". She doesn't have much of a bedside manner!
 
Depends where you live, but my area it would definitely be your local minor injuries unit. Google and ring them for advice if unsure. Not A +E.
 
Similar thing happened to me a couple of months ago, turned out one of the small bones in the wrist was fractured, quite common apparently and people often think 'it's just a sprain'
 
I ignored a painful shoulder and upper arm after being dragged by my sons horse who spooked when being led by me, I never let go, but my shoulder was terrible and sore and I couldn't lift it up. After 4 weeks I went to doc and was told off for not going sooner, sent to hospital for a scan and found I had damaged the tendons in shoulder and developed tendinitis!!!! So go to the doctor and see what they say... Better safe than in 6 months time having to do physio for months on end to fix it..
 
Another vote for go to A&E or if you don't want to wait around ring NHS direct (is that still available in England) and they will get an out of hours appointment for you.
 
If you don't go now you will regret it in later years. You will be like me with joints and back protesting at every activity, including using the computer for long periods.

It is a myth that if you can use your fingers you've not broken anything! You may very well have fractured something.

Hope you get sorted soon. My shoulder is the reason I am awake in the middle of a New Zealand night, another reminder of an injury I ignored in my youth!
 
If you have a local minor injuries unit then go there, if not it depends on your gp - you certainly need an x-ray sot he liklihood is that you'll be sent on A&E anyway. I wouldn't go this evening as evenings are busy but if you can go tomorrow morning as it will be quieter and they'll have more time to see you
 
A&E is for life threatening emergencies and broken bones. Your best bet from what you have stated minor injuries/walk in or urgent GP. Your GP will refer to x-Ray NOT A&E. Obviously cannot assess your case over an Internet forum. Any doubt or worried tonight ring 111 for out of hours. Please use A&E responsibly, hospitals are at breaking point and it is up to all of us to use services appropriately.
 
Also if you have had several falls to out stretched hand you could have a scaphoid fracture which don't necessarily show up on X-rays immediately after injury. This can be dealt with at minor injuries. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.
 
asommerville said:
Soo if you fell of two weeks ago and didn't let go, therefore being dragged around by horse (never ever again), resulting in a very very painful wrist and hand, but you iced it, sucked it up and carried on. You then fell off the following week, typically in same hand, and then fell off again the following week, typically landing in said hand. You now have a wrist that is painful, even more painful to put pressure on but us not swollen WWYD? I am in no way a drama queen, but my doctor is mince! Advice please I am potentially going to be dragged to A&e and don't want to waste their time!
Click to expand...

Sounds like a sprain. But any physio worth their weight should tell you to go for an x-ray just to be sure there's no bone damage.
 
A&E is for urgent and life threatening emergencies.

Your injury sounds like the type that can be dealt with by a Minor Injuries Unit. They deal with strains and broken bones that are not life threatening.
Different areas seem to function differently, but in some counties, your GP can refer you for X-rays as mine does.
 
You should have a Minor Injuries Unit not too far from you. Ring them to check their x ray machine is working and running (our local one is always down) and then go there. A wrist fracture would probably be a waste of A&E's time - if there's something very wrong you'll get referred to a specialist anyway. If there's nothing there, a GP visit may be in order.

Our physio always tells us to keep taking ibuprofen - two every four hours - not for the pain actually but for the swelling. No matter what you've done, this will help but the important thing is to take it solidly for a week as one every now and then won't have a decent effect. Make sure you eat something just before you take it too.
 
One thing to note - not everywhere has a minor injuries unit. I live in Carlisle and while we have a full A&E unit we don't have a minor injuries unit at all so it's a choice of GP, who here just send you to A&E for that sort of thing or straight to A&E
 
We only have an urgent care centre @ a & e. When I broke my scaphoid we went urgent care centre ( has no xray) waited 4 hours to be sent to a & e another 3 hour wait :(
Eventually got seen & xrayed. Had splint put on then had to go next day to make sure no swelling & xray. Cast for 5 months :(
 
It's best to call the NHS line if you're unsure about service provision in your area. Some places have MIU or walk in centres while others rely on GP out of hours service and hospital. It does seem strange that services differ throughout the country.
 
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