A mother has criticised the John Radcliffe Hospital after her son was sent home with an air rifle pellet in his forehead.

David Fowler

Sheelagh Fowler, of Chequers Place, Cholsey, said she was told there was "nothing there" when she took 12-year-old David to casualty in July.

She said a doctor suggested she was being a fussy mother, and refused to take an X-ray. He advised her to take David home and keep the wound clean and dry.

She said the lead pellet stayed put for seven weeks until it was removed by a Wallingford GP.

Mrs Fowler, a retired mental health nurse, said: "I'm not happy with the treatment he received. It was ridiculous. I could feel the pellet in there but the doctor wouldn't agree to X-ray it. He said I was just being a fussy mother. After we had waited two-and-a-half hours, we were rushed in and out. The hospital needs to get its act in gear, particularly when it comes to children. Doctors should spend a bit more time with them and not be in such a rush to get the next patient in."

The air-rifle mishap happened when one of David's older brothers was engaged in target practice in the garden. One of the pellets ricocheted off garden furniture and hit David above the left eye.

After the hospital visit, the wound continued to be painful for weeks.

Dr Elizabeth Walker, of Wallingford Medical Practice, arranged for an X-ray which showed the pellet was still lodged in David's head. She successfully removed it - in fragments - at Wallingford Community Hospital.

Mrs Fowler said: "The lead had started to disintegrate under his skin. We've kept it as a memento."

She added: "I'm definitely not a fussy mother. I've got six children, the oldest is 33, and they have all had to do a fair amount of looking after themselves."

A spokesman for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust regretted that David's mother was unhappy with his treatment, but declined to comment in detail because of patient confidentiality rules.

She said: "The Trust is confident that our staff acted appropriately and followed the necessary protocols."

She added that a formal investigation would be carried out if the family contacted the trust. Mrs Fowler has decided to lodge a complaint, and is taking legal advice on whether the hospital was negligent.