Frostbite boy's agony

That was the claim this week of 16-year-old Thomas Jackson’s angry mum, Paula, who said that staff at NHS Rotherham’s walk-in health centre had effectively given them the cold shoulder.

After an agonising weekend at home with the condition, usually only suffered by mountaineers and Arctic explorers, the pain-wracked teenager, who suffers from learning difficulties, was taken to Rotherham General Hospital and referred to specialists at Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

He was later allowed to go home, but only after doctors prescribed a series of painkillers and instructed his mum to warm his feet 24 hours a day in a bid to revive his frozen toes.

Paula (37), of Farnworth Road, East Herringthorpe, described the response by the Rotherham walk-in centre as “scandalous,” adding: “I can’t believe they sent us home when there was a risk of him losing his toes.”

She said that Thomas’s feet had developed frostbite as he enjoyed the cold snap with friends.

“He had been playing out in the snow on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but he only told me late on the Friday that his feet were hurting,” she said.

“When I saw them it was obvious something was seriously wrong. His toes were purple.

“I took him straight to the walk-in centre and the doctor there said straight away that he had frostbite but just told us to put some socks on Thomas’s feet and go home.”

The pain became even worse for Thomas, a student at Rother Valley College after their visit to the walk-in centre on Greasbrough Road and Paula rushed him to Rotherham General Hospital last Monday morning.

She said: “The doctors said that he had never seen a severe case of frostbite like this in Rotherham before and immediately referred him.

“When we got to the children’s hospital they immediately gave Thomas a 50/50 chance of losing his toes.”

“I've been getting up three times a night to replace the hot water in his hot water bottles,” said Paula.

“It’s been more than a week since we were at the hospital now and his toes are looking better but I’m still worried for one of them. It looks like it’s been stamped on.”

Surgeons at Sheffield Children's Hospital are due to assess Thomas’s condition during an appointment next Monday.

Jackie Brown, programme manager for Urgent Care at NHS Rotherham, said: “We are sorry that Mrs Jackson feels the advice and treatment given to her son was inadequate. 

“We will rigorously investigate this matter with Care UK and will share the results with Mrs Jackson. 

“In the meantime, our Patient Advice Liaison Service will be contacting Mrs Jackson to discuss her complaint in detail.”

A spokesman for Care UK, which operates the walk-In centre on behalf of NHS Rotherham, said: “We take all complaints very seriously and have already begun both a full internal investigation and a joint investigation with NHS Rotherham.”