Mark Robinson's broken arm 14 years after he fell off a ladder

by Nicola Jordan

A father who fell off a ladder onto a concrete patio as he was doing DIY is still nursing a broken arm – 14 years on.

Mark Robinson, who has to take painkillers every day, has filed an official complaint to Medway Maritime Hospital.

He claimed the "final straw" for him was being struck off the outpatients' waiting list because he failed to turn up for an appointment.

Mr Robinson has applied to go on the waiting list to see a specialist at the London Orthopaedic Hospital.

His ordeal started when he plunged 15ft from the ladder as he was mending outdoor lights at the family home in Highlands Avenue, Strood.

The 53-year-old, pictured right, suffered three fractures to his upper left arm and was told he would have to wear a sling for between six to eight weeks.

When he returned to hospital after this period, he was told the breaks had not healed. He was then put on a course of physiotherapy before it was decided he should have surgery to insert a plate and screws into his arm and shoulder.

X-rays later revealed his bones were not "reuniting" and he had a second operation to have the plate and screws removed.

Mr Robinson, who is married with a 16-year-old son, said: "I was told it would all be OK within eight weeks. Who would have thought 14 years later I’m still in pain and relying on pills to get me through the day?"

Mr Robinson, who was a lorry driver but now works for a builders' merchants in Aylesford, said he was taken off the outpatients' list because he failed to turn up for a clinic.

He is adamant neither he nor his GP received notification of the appointment.

A Medway NHS Trust spokesman confirmed his letter had been received and passed on to the hospital’s complaints department.

A statement said: "We are aware of Mr Robinson’s concerns and we will be responding to him directly.

"Mr Robinson cancelled several appointments offered to him up to April 2012 and has not been in touch with the trust until recently about his concerns."