An angry father this week described how his four-year-old daughter – who, it turned out, had broken her arm – fell from a climbing frame but was sent home from Newton Abbot Hospital Minor Injuries Unit without being X-rayed.

And the Advertiser has been told this week of at least two further incidents of alleged poor treatment at the hospital.

David O'Neill – who the PCT issued an apology to the family this week – took his daughter Elana to hospital. He claimed a nurse briefly examined her within an hour, said there was nothing broken and that she had bruised or perhaps sprained her wrist.

'She said it would be sore for a few days and if we had any further concerns we should return to the hospital. For the best part of a week Elana was favouring her left arm and the swelling was still there,' he said.

Nine days later, on Friday, he returned with Elana. An X-ray revealed a break and he was told to take her to Torbay Hospital where she had an operation.

Mr O'Neill, of Abbotskerswell, said the X-ray showed a fractured bone above the wrist.

On Monday, Mr O'Neill returned to the hospital to see a member of the complaints personnel.

'I was told the hospital policy was not to X-ray children under the age of five. I asked why they managed to X-ray her nine days later and she told me that the policy had changed from the 24th to the current date,' he claimed.

Mr O'Neill asked to see documentation to that effect but he claimed she said 'no'.

He contacted the Patient Advice Liaison Service, which confirmed it had no knowledge of children under five being excluded from X-rays at the hospital, and would look into it. Devon Primary Care Trust also said it was not aware of such policy.

Mr O'Neill claimed: 'It seems very much as if this policy has been invented to stop any further proceedings against them.'

Another complainant, Martin Beavis, of Newton Abbot, said his 70-year-old mother had fallen badly on her arm and hand.

He was told on two separate occasions by nurses at the MIU that an X-ray was not required. later her GP disagreed.

Having gone back to the unit, staff told her to go to Torbay and said her doctor should have known that.

Mr Beavis's mother needed treatment for a fractured metatarsal.

He said: 'I am utterly appalled by the way she has been treated by a brand new hospital with state-of-the-art facilities.

'Signs dotted around Newton Abbot refer to the hospital as a minor injuries unit. Perhaps we should go there with paper cuts so they can put plasters on for us.'

Former Newton Abbot mayor Cllr Keith Smith said his 88-year-old mother collapsed during Satuday's Newton abbot carnival festivities.

When paramedics arrived she asked to be taken to Newton Abbot Hospital but was sent to Torbay.

'We were told that the hospital does not take admissions by ambulance,' said Cllr Smith.

'It feels like we're being fobbed off. We were told we were not going to lose local services but gradually we are.

'A lot of town councillors are not happy with the trust and we will be seeking a meeting with the new chief executive when he or she is appointed.'

Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross said he would look into the lack of clarity regarding X-rays.

Leah Allen, the PCT's NHS and social care manager for the area, said: 'We are really sorry Mr O'Neill had to return with his daughter following her injury.

'The minor injuries unit is led by nursing staff and provides clinical assessment, examination of patient minor injuries or minor aliments.

'Staff at the MIU carry out wound closures for less complex injuries and simple fractures when X-ray facilities are available which is Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

'That said, we always strive to maintain the very highest quality service and where we fail to do this, we do our best to improve the service next time.

'In the case of Cllr Smith's mother, patients transferred by ambulance are taken to Newton Abbot MIU if it is felt by the paramedics to be clinically appropriate, but it appears this information was not given at the time.

'Where a patient has collapsed, paramedics will always transport to the closest emergency department to enable a full range of tests to be undertaken.'