Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of fractures is sadly not an uncommon occurrence in the Accident & Emergency Department and if a fracture is left undiagnosed, it can have severe consequences for a patient’s treatment and long-term prognosis. Not only will the patient suffer from prolonged pain and inconvenience but research has shown that problems can lead to chronic functional limitations and long-term symptoms of osteoarthritis or joint stiffness.

So why are so many fractures being missed? Studies analysing the errors in fracture diagnosis have focused on the nature of the fracture and have showed that failure to detect an abnormality on x-ray is the most common diagnostic error made in the Accident & Emergency Department.

As a result, each year the price of undiagnosed fractures in the Accident & Emergency Department is costing the NHS millions of pounds. Missed breaks or inadequate treatment of breaks in the hand alone, have cost the NHS on average more than £6 million in compensation awards in the past decade.

Ordering the correct x-ray and then detecting an abnormality on the x-ray images takes both skill and experience. The Medico-Legal Journal suggests that junior doctors and nurses are mostly to blame for the increase in failed or late diagnosis of fractures. A study by the British Medical Journal shows that junior doctors miss up to 39 per cent of ‘clinically significant abnormalities’ on x-ray because they lack both the skill and experience to interpret the images correctly.

To avoid fractures from being left undiagnosed, many NHS Trusts have now changed their procedure so that all x-rays are reviewed by either a Radiologist or a specially trained Radiographer. However, this can increase delays of treatment as often there can be a delay of several days before Radiologists or Radiographers are able to report on x-rays, by which time the bone may have already begun to ‘knit together’ in the incorrect position.

Further problems can be related to the incorrect decision making and/or inadequate provision of care following a correct decision-making process. This can then lead to problems with either the fracture or the fixation and may result in a patient undergoing various surgical procedures. 

Here at Jackson Lees we have represented a number of clients for the failure to diagnose and/or misdiagnosis of fractures. Our dedicated team of lawyers will be able to identify the issues affecting you and your loved ones and offer you the best practical advice on the options available to you.

To get in touch, please click here for a call back or message us your enquiry.