A woman has settled a medical negligence claim against the defendant Health Board after a delay in diagnosing her heel fracture left her needing major surgery.
Timeline of events
Jennifer – who was in her mid-50s at the time – injured her left heel in autumn 2020 while getting out of bed. The next day, she attended the minor injuries unit at a hospital managed by the defendant Health Board. An X-ray was taken, but she was wrongly told there was no fracture and was discharged with painkillers.
Over the following days, Jennifer struggled with pain, swelling and difficulty walking. She was eventually given crutches, but her pain and bruising worsened. A couple of weeks later, she had another X-ray at a different hospital. Again, she was wrongly told her heel was not broken.
Jennifer was referred to physiotherapy and advised to do exercises and put weight on her injured foot. This caused her pain to get worse. She also received care from podiatry and rheumatology over the following months, but her symptoms did not improve.
In autumn 2021, she was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon at another hospital. In early 2022, she was told that the X-rays from 2020 had shown a fracture all along. An MRI scan confirmed the fracture had not healed properly.
Because of the delay, Jennifer’s fracture had worsened and she developed arthritis in her ankle. In early 2023, she underwent subtalar fusion surgery to correct the problem caused by the defendant’s negligence. While the surgery reduced some pain, Jennifer has permanent stiffness, limited movement, a scar, altered foot shape, and her foot now sits in a valgus position compared to her other foot.
How we helped Jennifer’s delayed diagnosis claim
The Health Board admitted it was at fault at the earliest opportunity. With our support, Jennifer’s case was settled, recognising the lasting impact the delay in diagnosis and treatment had on her mobility, pain and quality of life.
A note from Ikhira Thandi
“This case shows how a missed diagnosis can turn a simple injury into a long-term problem. Jennifer went through prolonged and unnecessary pain, multiple medical appointments and major surgery because the X-rays were wrongly interpreted on several occasions in respect of her heel fracture. We are pleased to have helped her reach a settlement that reflects the harm she suffered.”
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