A FRAIL frail pensioner was left in agony for more than two weeks after staff at the Alexandra Hospital repeatedly failed to spot she had a broken wrist - despite undergoing four x-rays.

Even with constant protestations from 74-year-old Barbara Bagby, as well as several members of her concerned family, staff did not spot her "obvious" break.

Ms Bagby, from Church Hill, was admitted to the Alex on February 12 with a broken hip after falling from a car.

She complained about her wrist being broken as well and an x-ray was taken.

However, after looking at the results staff told the octogenarian that her wrist was fine.

She suffered, often in tears due to the amount of pain she was in, for 16 days before her ordeal was finally ended after being transferred to Evesham Community Hospital where staff there x-rayed her and spotted the break.

Ms Bagby's daughter Yvette Craig said she was astonished with the level of care at the Alex Hospital.

"The way my mother was treated was absolutely disgusting," she said.

"I'm furious with what has happened. I don't actually understand how something like this could have happened.

"I called the hospital as well as several members of the family and we were all fobbed off. Doctors didn't listen to my mother and even though they took three more x-rays they still did not see the break - they didn't even look at two of the x-rays.

"When my mother was x-rayed at Evesham Community Hospital the break was spotted straight away, staff there described it as an obvious break and said it was one that should not be hard to miss."

Because the break went unnoticed, and untreated, for more than two weeks the bones started to heal meaning it may need to be broken again and re-set.

Ms Craig added: "It's been such a traumatic time for not just my mother, but for myself as well. I've had her on the phone to me in tears because of the constant pain.

"Then, when I told doctors at the Alex that her wrist was broken all along all they said was 'we're sorry'. That is just not good enough.

"We're relived it has finally been sorted but my mother is still in pain even now."

A spokesman from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, which runs the Alex Hospital, said they were unable to comment on individual cases.

Dr Umesh Udeshi, clinical director of radiology said: “We are very sorry that we were unable to provide Mrs Bagby with the high level of care we strive for. We take great care to ensure all x-ray reports are used as part of a patient’s diagnosis.

“We would like to encourage Mrs Bagby and her family to get in touch with us so we can fully investigate their concerns.”