Baby with broken wrist sent home

The parents of a 13-month-old baby have spoken of their anger after hospital staff failed to spot her wrist was broken in two places.

Stephen Hulme, 32, took his daughter Hollie-Redd to the A&E unit at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, after she fell.

A senior doctor examined her and told Mr Hulme and his wife Kay, 31, that Hollie-Redd was fine and could go home.

A Trust spokesman said she received a full clinical examination and no further treatment was required.

The couple from Kingswood took their daughter to their local GP the next day, who told them she may have a broken wrist.

She was screaming all night ...it was obvious she wasn't well Stephen Hulme, father.

Doctors at the city's Children's Hospital took an X-ray, where they confirmed she had suffered two fractures to her wrist.

"I feel disgusted and totally let down by Frenchay," Mr Hulme, a mobile phone technician, said.

"You put your trust in the medical staff and they let you down. You hear about these horror stories in the NHS, but you never think it's going to happen to you.

'Full clinical examination'

"She was screaming all night and was turning in her sleep. She couldn't walk properly because she lost her balance and her arm was dangling down by her side. It was obvious she wasn't well," he said.

A spokesman for North Bristol NHS Trust said Hollie-Redd had received a full clinical examination by a senior doctor at Frenchay Hospital's emergency department on Saturday afternoon.

"At the time of that examination she had settled and was playing happily, using the affected arm.

"Close examination of the wrist showed no apparent tenderness and full movements. Nationally-accepted clinical guidelines would indicate that an X-ray examination would not be required in such circumstances.

"We are naturally very sorry to hear that Hollie-Redd's symptoms recurred."