A man who went to see his doctor with a sporting injury was left suffering in excruciating pain... after a broken needle was left in his arm for two years.
Stephen Oliver underwent a series of steroid injections after his GP diagnosed him with tennis elbow in 2007.
Yet his elbow swelled up and he remained in agony. Doctors eventually realised more than two years later that part of a hypodermic needle had been left embedded under his skin.
Mr Oliver underwent emergency surgery after he was referred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in November 2009. He was left with a 6in scar on his arm and still suffers pain in his arm to this day.
The 41-year-old, who lives in South Shields, South Tyneside, said: 'The injury happened when I was on a rowing holiday in 2007 - my elbow became swollen and very painful and my GP diagnosed it as tennis elbow.
'My first injection was incredibly, intensely painful and I suffered from swelling in my arm for two weeks.
'I was convinced something was wrong but was told the injection must have hit a nerve - I was denied any further inspection of the arm, despite repeated requests for an X-ray or scan of the area and I was assured that the symptoms I was experiencing were typical of tennis elbow.
'I attended another five or six appointments and no X-ray was ever carried out - the treatment was becoming less and less effective.
'I was struggling with my studies as I found it hard to use a computer keyboard, and I needed orthotics to help me drive.
'I was absolutely staggered when I was eventually X-rayed and the needle was found in my arm.
'To this day I still suffer with pain and stiffness in my arm and it continues to swell.'
Following his ordeal, Stephen launched legal action with the help of Stephen Winn, from the law firm Irwin Mitchell.
The legal claim is still being investigated against the two treatment centres that administered Stephen with the injections.
But he is claiming damages against the centres that administered the injections from November 2007 until September 2009 - a GP surgery in South Shields, and the Musculoskeletal Unit of South Tyneside PCT.
A spokesman for NHS South of Tyne, working on behalf of Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust, South Tyneside PCT and Gateshead PCT, said: 'We cannot comment on individual cases or when legal proceedings are ongoing.'
Stephen Oliver underwent a series of steroid injections after his GP diagnosed him with tennis elbow in 2007.
Yet his elbow swelled up and he remained in agony. Doctors eventually realised more than two years later that part of a hypodermic needle had been left embedded under his skin.
Mr Oliver underwent emergency surgery after he was referred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in November 2009. He was left with a 6in scar on his arm and still suffers pain in his arm to this day.
The 41-year-old, who lives in South Shields, South Tyneside, said: 'The injury happened when I was on a rowing holiday in 2007 - my elbow became swollen and very painful and my GP diagnosed it as tennis elbow.
'My first injection was incredibly, intensely painful and I suffered from swelling in my arm for two weeks.
'I was convinced something was wrong but was told the injection must have hit a nerve - I was denied any further inspection of the arm, despite repeated requests for an X-ray or scan of the area and I was assured that the symptoms I was experiencing were typical of tennis elbow.
'I attended another five or six appointments and no X-ray was ever carried out - the treatment was becoming less and less effective.
'I was struggling with my studies as I found it hard to use a computer keyboard, and I needed orthotics to help me drive.
'I was absolutely staggered when I was eventually X-rayed and the needle was found in my arm.
'To this day I still suffer with pain and stiffness in my arm and it continues to swell.'
The legal claim is still being investigated against the two treatment centres that administered Stephen with the injections.
But he is claiming damages against the centres that administered the injections from November 2007 until September 2009 - a GP surgery in South Shields, and the Musculoskeletal Unit of South Tyneside PCT.
A spokesman for NHS South of Tyne, working on behalf of Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust, South Tyneside PCT and Gateshead PCT, said: 'We cannot comment on individual cases or when legal proceedings are ongoing.'
