Health officials have apologised after a Sydney hospital told a man to go home and take painkillers for a broken neck.

Thirty-one-year-old Paul Curtis says he went to Ryde Hospital late on a Friday night in late May with a painful neck injury.

The Carlingford man says he was was forced to wait several hours and then told by the doctor that the X-ray unit was closed and he should go home and take some Panadol.

Mr Curtis returned to the hospital on Monday and a CT-scan showed his neck was broken.

He was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital, with a doctor there giving a damning assessment.

"The doctor said I'm lucky not to be a paraplegic," Mr Curtis said.

He says he was shocked by the experience.

"Being told on the Monday afterwards that I am lucky to be alive ... you sort of go 'wow'."

He says it should be mandatory for hospitals to carry out immediate X-rays on patients with neck injuries.

Ryde Hospital's emergency department head doctor Peter Roberts says the initial doctor did follow guidelines but it is clear they need reviewing.

"On behalf of Ryde Hospital we do apologise to Paul Curtis," Dr Roberts said.

He says in future, patients with similar symptoms will be X-rayed.

The NSW Health Department says Ryde Hospital does operate a call-back system for radiologists after midnight, but says Mr Curtis's medical notes do not make mention of the need for an X-ray.