A WIDOW says she was sent to Stoke Mandeville Hospital's A&E department for a wrist injury when she could easily have been treated at Wycombe Hospital.

Margaret Steele, 67, has complained about her experience after she checked herself into A&E at Wycombe on August 2.

Mrs Steele, of Radnage, fell down steps at home that night. X-rays later revealed three fractures in her wrist.

She says staff told her she couldn't have a plaster cast because an orthopaedic surgeon needed to examine her injury beforehand for which she needed to travel to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

But when she arrived at the Aylesbury hospital she says staff were confused as to why she had made the journey in the first place.

After a telephone conversation with Wycombe Hospital, staff told Mrs Steele that they understood she had refused to have the plaster cast while there.

Mrs Steele, who owns Freeman Dawson & Co in Desborough Avenue, High Wycombe, said: "Wycombe said I refused a plaster cast - I said that is absolutely not true.

"They said I couldn't have one until I had been seen by an orthopaedic surgeon and I had to go to Stoke Mandeville for that."

She added: "They (Wycombe Hospital) were just off hand about it. Stoke Mandeville said I should write a letter about it so I did."

Mrs Steele was given a plaster cast at Stoke Mandeville before returning to Aylesbury the next day for further treatment. She wrote a letter of complaint shortly afterwards despite the difficulty of having just one hand in good working order.

John Fisher, spokesman for Bucks Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals, said: "Patients who require the expert opinion of an orthopaedic consultant following a trauma injury are referred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital from Wycombe Hospital.

"In some cases this is a precautionary measure to ensure the patient receives attention in the most appropriate location by the right member of clinical staff with the right skills where the right equipment is, should this be required.

"We apologise that there appears to have been a misunderstanding on this occasion regarding the application of a temporary plastercast.

"We are pleased to note that Mrs Steele was happy with the care she received at Stoke Mandeville."