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A disabled man who was thrown across his kitchen in a freak cooking accident has complained doctors failed to examine him properly after he was rushed to hospital.
Roger Saunders, 61, was making stew for his family when he lifted the lid off the pressure cooker without releasing all the steam first and shot across the room, hitting his arm and landing on the floor in agony.
Mr Saunders, who is registered disabled and doesn’t work, had been given a hip replacement less than three months before the mishap and, fearing the fall had damaged the new hip, his wife Joy called an ambulance.
Paramedics took the Willesborough resident to the William Harvey Hospital, where he claims he was left on a trolley before being told to “get up and walk” and then sent home.
“They didn’t examine me at all. They didn’t even look at my injuries. I was put on a trolley and left in the middle, between the cubicles" - Mr Saunders
He said: “They didn’t examine me at all. They didn’t even look at my injuries. I was put on a trolley and left in the middle, between the cubicles, even though it didn’t seem that busy.
“One doctor told me I would get an X-ray but then a different doctor came over and told me to stand up and walk. He just wanted me to go home.
“I was very shaky, I didn’t know whether I was coming or going. I was too woozy to know what was going on.”
Mr Saunders was given painkillers and the hospital arranged transport for him and his wife, who he described as his “unpaid carer”, back to their home in Summer Leeze Gardens.
He is still bruised and in pain but the hip does not appear to have been damaged. He added: “I was very angry. I’m still very annoyed with the hospital. I’ve got quite a few problems and have to go up there quite regularly and they don’t like it.
“I’ve put in an official complaint and told them I want compensation, but I’ve not heard anything back yet.”
Mr Saunders thanked the ambulance crew who were “the best they could be” and “really thoughtful”.
Giselle Broomes, divisional director for urgent care and long-term conditions at the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “One of our doctors examined Mr Saunders within one hour of attending our A&E department on Thursday, November 27, and we would like to apologise if the doctor’s attitude seemed negative.
“Mr Saunders was discharged home by patient transport after our doctor’s examination found no clinical signs of dislocation.
“It is standard practice in A&E to examine patients on trolleys within the department.
“Our A&E departments are currently very busy."
We would like to ask the public to help us by utilising local pharmacy, GP and NHS 111 services as much as possible over the winter period when the demand for emergency care is extremely high.”
Further information on local services is available at www.healthhelpnow-nhs.net