AN EPILEPTIC man who smashed his face during a fit says an x-ray blunder caused surgeons to cut into the wrong side of his face. 

The x-ray at Swindon’s Great Western Hospital was taken “round the wrong way”, claims Adam Waters, leaving surgeons at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital puzzled when he went under the knife in February.
On February 22 Adam, who had his first epileptic fit aged eight, collapsed at work in a series of fits. 

“I was outside at the time,” he said. “I fell on my face and broke my jaw. The ambulance service was absolutely fantastic. The paramedics turned up within eight minutes and took me straight to A&E at GWH. 

“I was in and out of consciousness, but luckily my wife was there. They took an x-ray of my jaw and said I was going to go to the John Radcliffe Hospital for surgery.”

Adam claims an x-ray blunder left surgeons puzzled: “With the x-ray they took, they took the x-ray round the wrong way so when the John Radcliffe operated they cut open my face on the wrong side to start off with then found out it was the wrong side. 

“They said they were going to investigate, but I haven’t heard anything back.” 

After suffering four fits since Christmas, Eldene resident Adam, 44, now wants to be checked out by neurology doctors. “I normally have three fits a year and since December I have had four, which is very concerning to me and my family,” he said.

But he claims that an outpatients’ appointment made after his most recent episode – which almost saw him run over by a van – has been cancelled. 

Adam was offered an appointment with a nurse, but he says he wants to see a doctor. Great Western Hospital said nurse-led appointments was normal practice and appropriate for many patients.

The flare-up between the yard marshall, who works at a South Marston firm, and hospital erupted after Adam’s latest fit landed him in hospital. 
He received a letter in early March, saying that a neurology appointment booked in the wake of his operation had been cancelled, asking him to write requesting a new appointment “if it was required”. 

Adam called the outpatients’ department immediately: “I said, ‘I’d like to see a doctor. I’ve had four fits since December and we want to get assurances.’ They turned round and said if you want to see someone you’ve got to see a nurse.” 

But, with the seizures apparently increasing in frequency, Adam is worried and wants to see the consultant doctor. 

“I would like the neurology department to say, ‘Yes, we will see you,’” he told the Adver.

“It’s very concerning for me and my family and for my own health and safety. When I had these seizures at work I almost got run over by a van.”

A spokesman for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Although we cannot comment on individual patients, for many patients it is more appropriate that they see one of our highly skilled nurses rather than a consultant. This is normal practice in many instances and means that consultants are then available for those patients requiring consultant care.

“We encourage anyone who has any concerns about our services to contact our PALS team for advice and support on 01793 604031 or gwh.pals@nhs.net.”

A spokeswoman for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said she could not comment on individual cases.