A toddler who had accidentally swallowed cockroach killer was turned away from hospital – because he arrived five minutes before it was due to close for the night.
Three-year-old Todd Thomas found a lethal container of cockroach killer in his gran's garden and sprayed it into his mouth.
His parents rushed him to nearby Chepstow Hospital, and arrived at 5.55pm. They were shocked to be turned away because all the staff had gone home, as the unit was due to close at 6pm.
The distraught parents were forced to drive Todd for more than an hour to Royal Gwent Hospital, by which time he was suffering from painful blisters in his mouth and was constantly being sick.
Todd was then treated at the hospital and, thankfully, did not suffer serious side effects.
Todd's father Michael said: 'I was absolutely furious when the staff at the hospital told me they weren't prepared to help me.
'There was no offer of help at all. If someone had seen him straight away, he might not have suffered all those terrible blisters.
'The centre is open from 9am til 6pm – what happens if you need treatment outside those times?
' Thankfully Todd is fine now. He had a poor tummy for a few days and blisters in his mouth – but he's back to his usual happy self.'
A spokesman for the Aneurin Bevan Health Board confirmed minor injury units are open 9am until 6pm on weekdays and on Saturday mornings between 9am and 1pm.
He said: 'These opening times were agreed earlier this year as there was a wide variation of attendances during the day and very low attendances during the night time.'