Toddler With Dislocated Elbow Sent Home From Hospital With Calpol

Toddler With Dislocated Elbow Sent Home From Hospital With Calpol
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A mum and dad have accused hospital medics of failing to spot that their toddler daughter had dislocated her elbow - before sending her home with just Calpol.

Martin and Sarah Bignell from Hadleigh, Suffolk, are now set to make a formal complaint over the treatment of their 15-month-old daughter Tulisha.

"I am so angry at how my baby girl was treated," said Martin. "She was in absolute agony."

Martin told reporters that Tulisha screamed out when she badly injured her arm after she got a playful shove from her big sister Emily, two, after bath time on Sunday.

They took Tulisha immediately to Ipswich Hospital at 3.30pm.

"It was the worst scream I have ever heard," said Martin. "She was in so much pain and couldn't seem to move her arm. As soon as we touched her arm she screamed again."

The couple waited for around three hours for a doctor to see Tulisha, and were then told that everything was fine and that there was nothing seriously wrong.

"He told us she had probably just jarred it and told us to give her Calpol," said Martin.

"I did question it because she couldn't move her arm but he said Calpol for a couple of three days and that if it didn't get better to take her to the GP."

Martin and Sarah left unconvinced, and quickly realised that Tulisha was far from right when they put her to bed.

"She rolled on to her tummy but couldn't roll herself back over," said Martin. "She couldn't use her arm at all and as soon as you touched it she cried."

They took Tulisha back to A&E at Ipswich Hospital at 10pm and were told they would see a senior doctor because they were returning within 24 hours.

Examining Tulisha's arm in a similar way to the first doctor, he recognised at once that the little girl had dislocated her elbow and popped it back into place.

"You could see she felt better straightaway," said Martin, who is off work with a back injury.

He is now writing a formal complaint to the hospital to express their anger and sense of disbelief.

An Ipswich Hospital spokeswoman said: "We are very sorry for any distress caused to Tulisha and her family and are glad to hear Tulisha is feeling better.

"Mr Bignell called and spoke to a member of our patient advice and liaison team yesterday to ask the procedure to make a complaint. Our colleague was able to advise him and we are now waiting to hear back from the family formally."

"We strongly urge them to make the complaint so we can look fully into their concerns and share our findings with them."

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