Hospital fails to spot broken arm

Elana may require specialist surgery on her arm

A hospital trust has apologised to the parents of a young girl after staff at a new multi-million pound hospital wrongly diagnosed her wrist injury.

Four-year-old Elana O'Neill, from Abbotskerswell, hurt her arm when she fell off her climbing frame last month.

Staff at Newton Abbot Community Hospital said Elana had suffered a soft issue injury, but an X-ray nine days later revealed her arm was broken.

Elana's parents, Dave and Karen, said they were considering legal action.

Elana's arm was put into a cast at Torbay Hospital after the broken bone was diagnosed, but Mr O'Neill said the arm is now deformed and his daughter may require specialist surgery.

Policy 'misinterpretation'

"I'm horrified - it's not good enough," Mr O'Neill told BBC News.

He said staff at Newton Abbot told him the hospital had a policy not to X-ray children under the age of five, but when he asked to see evidence of such a policy, the hospital refused to provide it.

"They also said that the policy had changed between 24 June and 3 July to say they could now X-ray under-fives," he said.

"We're not going back to Newton Abbot Hospital under any circumstances.

"We're disappointed our daughter's been let down and insulted that we've been lied to."

The £25m hospital opened at the beginning of the year

Leah Allen, NHS and social care manager for southern Devon, said the matter was being reviewed.

"We are really sorry Mr O'Neill had to return with his daughter following her wrist injury," she said in a statement.

"There appears to have been a misinterpretation of policy in the trust with regards to X-rays for the under-fives.

"We are reviewing how this could have happened but have already put measures in place to prevent it happening again."

The £25m hospital, which opened in January, offers maternity services and has a minor injuries unit and a children's unit.