Schoolboy, 13, spends TWO DAYS with pencil stuck in hand after hospital sent him home and made him wait for operation

Ouch: The six inch pencil that became embedded in 13-year-old Robbie Appleby-Socket's hand, leaving him in agony

A thirteen-year-old was left in agony after a hospital sent him home twice with a pencil embedded in his hand. Robbie Appleby-Socket, of Askern, Doncaster, was larking about with his friends when the six-inch pencil wedged inside his skin, leaving him in severe pain. His mother Emma rushed him to Doncaster Royal Infirmary's accident and emergency department, where he was told to come back the following day for an operation.

But when the pair returned the next morning, they were told Robbie’s name was not on the list, and the operation would have to be rescheduled for another time. Desperate Mrs Appleby-Socket was then forced to take her son 20 miles from their home to Pinderfields Hopsital in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Doctors there operated immediately and Robbie stayed in hospital for two nights on an antibiotic drip to ensure the injury would not become infected.

Mrs Appleby-Socket said: 'Robbie was in agony and the pencil was protruding from his hand but the staff at Doncaster Royal Infirmary didn’t seem that concerned. 'You would have thought it was something they could have done straight away but they just left the pencil where it was, put a bandage over it and said he would have to come back. I was concerned because I thought if he knocked his hand the pencil could go even further inside and cause serious injury. I was disgusted at their attitude because I feared he could lose his hand through infection. I was told he would need an operation but they couldn’t do it until the following morning so he was sent home with the pencil still embedded in his hand.’

 

Stressed: Robbie Appleby-Socket, 13, and his mother Emma, after their ordeal at Doncaster Royal Infirmary

'The staff didn’t even check the wound. It was only when I asked about infection that they gave us some antibiotics. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when we went back the following day and was sent home again. He needed treatment quickly so I drove straight to Pinderfields Hospital. I told them the story and they couldn’t believe that the pencil had been left in his hand for so long. The staff there were absolutely amazing.' A spokesman for the Doncaster Royal Infirmary said: 'Robbie was seen by the A and E team who were concerned and asked an orthopaedic surgeon to assess him. 'Robbie was then listed for surgery the next morning and sent home with painkillers to rest and fast overnight in preparation. Unfortunately, due to a number of very urgent cases Robbie’s operation was postponed. We apologised and gave him further painkillers and antibiotics. We apologise to Robbie and his family for the fact we could not operate on him when planned.'

Anger: Robbie went twice to Doncaster Royal Infirmary with his injury but was sent away on both occasions

Source: Daily Mail UK  

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