I actually just rung the vets to see what they thought. The advice I got from them was similar, they told me to keep an eye on it and if the wounds become infected to take him back in and possibly washing them with warm salt water (saline solution right?).
The first vet at the practice he was seen by wasn't the regular vet and she seemed inexperienced with hamsters and not very confident in handling him etc. However, on Monday he saw the regular vet at the practice who in my experience is very good. He gave Tilly a thorough examination, moving his legs to see if they were broken and checking for any signs of infection. To be honest I think its a bit of a tricky situation because the injury doesn't seem to be affecting Tilly at all, he is eating and drinking fine still, grooming with the injured foot and behaving normally apart from the stress over the removed wheel. I know hamsters are incredibly good at masking their pain but I thought I would just note here that Tilly showed absolutely no sign of pain when the vet was moving his legs, not even when he squeezed his little foot a little. The injury didn't prevent him from running on the wheel when it was in the cage and he also puts his weight on it.
The swelling on the injured foot has gone down before on two occasions while the wheel was left in the cage... so when he has been going crazy on it! So I am really hoping this break from the wheel will have done some good for the injury despite causing a lot of stress.
He had a flying saucer which is what the injury first happened on. I also have a ferplast wheel (I don't have the box for it anymore but I think it is this one but red:
Silent Hamster Wheel Free Standing With Frame Ferplast FPI 4606) And this is what he has for the past few weeks now.
I am really hoping putting the wheel back in and giving him a little longer outside of the cage will help him. He is mostly active from around 9/10pm to about 2/3 am so I am preparing a space for him so he has access to water and shelter outside the cage.
Last night was pretty rough and sleepless so I am trying to be optimistic tonight
I will look for an exotic vets just in case (unfortunately I am not sure my parents will be willing to take him further and my severe anxiety means at the moment I am reliant on them
)