Kirkintilloch boy (7) has little finger sliced off in school accident

Rhys Pringles lost the tip of his pinky and nail after his finger was severed by a toilet door at Harestanes Primary School in Kirkintilloch.

The little boy was forced to undergo emergency surgery. Unfortunately, surgeons at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow were unable to reattach the severed digit and the doctors had to remove 2mm of bone and close the wound with skin grafting.

The youngster’s devastated parents and grandfather have hit out over what they say was a “horrendous lack of medical assistance and first aid” at the school.

The accident happened during the lunch period on Monday, April 29.

Mum Arlene said: “Rhy ran to a member of staff in the playground after the accident. I was horrified when I found out a P7 pupil was asked to take him to the office. Rhys must have been in shock, what could a P7 pupil do if he had collapsed?

“An ambulance should have been called. There must have been blood everywhere. Instead, they sat him down and put a tissue on it.

“The school then called us. My husband Steve went straight to the school and he was kept waiting for 10 minutes until he could see Rhys.”

The family noticed part of the little boy’s finger was missing. Arlene said: “We had to ask the school about the severed digit. The teachers had to look for it and found it on the floor in the toilet.

“We went back to the school and my father, who is a retired policeman, asked if they had put it on ice but they had just wrapped it in tissue and put it in the fridge. We are left wondering if the severed part had got to the hospital on time they might have been able to save it.

“There are no first aiders at the school. That’s the main concern with my other two children there and another one starting this year.

“The school say they never noticed Rhys’ finger was severed. I don’t how they can say this.”

The family took the little boy to Stobhill Hospital and he was transferred to the Royal.

Arlene told the Herald she has since had a meeting with the headteacher and was told no one in the school which has around 200 children, has first aid knowledge. Rhys’ grandfather Robert Stenhouse-Don added: “The public needs to be aware of this horrendous lack of medical assistance and the lack of first aid at this school.”

Depute Chief Executive, Education, People & Business, Ann Davie, said: “We are very sorry that this injury occurred and for the distress caused to Rhys and his family.

“We are currently carrying out an investigation into 
the circumstances of the accident and the concerns raised by the family and will take 
the appropriate action 
once the investigation is complete.”