Trust failed to diagnose injury after woman was taken to A&E by ambulance

What happened

Ms Q was in a traffic accident. She was taken to A&E complaining of pain in her chest and neck. She was kept in overnight and discharged the following morning without any injuries being diagnosed. After two weeks, Ms Q went to another trust and had an operation for a fractured sternum. A year later, during a private medical examination, a fracture in her neck was diagnosed. Both injuries originated from the accident.

What we found

The Trust should have given Ms Q a CT scan, which would have diagnosed her injuries.

Putting it right

We recommended that the Trust apologise to Ms Q, pay her £2,000 and produce an action plan.