Just back from the vets .....
Zuma has a swelling on his wrist? joint (paw end of long bone) in his front leg. He is not limping but he 'says' it causes pain when touched  - whether this is genuine or just him being a shepherd wuss I can't tell but he has been licking the area which I interpret as discomfort.
It is softish to touch and covers most of the joint area.
Prefered vet got held up so they sent out another who looks about 18 or 20 and is so new he is not listed on the website yet
He shaved the patch, suggested it is a 'hotspot' and gave me prednidale tablets for 5 days to start on Thursday ( have to stop loxicom for 24 hrs before starting them)
I have seen many hotspots over the years and never seen one that caused swelling.

Anyone any ideas/thoughts please?

See the vet you want to see.
We had a bitch with sore patches on her, saw a new & young vet twice & both times he said flea allergy(our dogs simply don't get fleas) also ringworm..we know exactly what ringworm looks like having been farmers. On the 3rd visit when we request a vet we trust, this poor bitch had  a skin disorder brought on by sun & is a very unpleasant thing to have.
This is why I strongly recommend you seeing a vet you trust...after all its the dog which is getting affected & you are paying for a potential misdiagnosis...

Gawd, my vet practice did this to us the last time we went.  Our vet we were booked in with got behind with his clients so they sent out some 18 year old we'd never met before.  They didn't ask us if we wanted this, they just said they were seeing us that day because the other vet was busy.  Retrospectively we should have insisted on seeing our chosen vet.  But we just didn't think...

They gave us antibiotics for a lump that wasn't infected and didn't need any treatment and told us to return if the ABs didn't fix the leaking.  The ABs didn't work (as it wasn't infected - it was a fluid filled cyst) so we booked in with our chosen vet again and this time got to see him.  He explained that there was no need to operate in an elderly 13yo dog like ours and we would just monitor the lump and it wasn't infected so didn't need treatment. 

We were so mad, we considered complaining.  We even have a note on our file from about 3 years ago when they first did this to us, which is supposed to say that we will ONLY see the vet we've booked in with and we should not be moved to another vet like this - despite this note, it still happened.

Anyway - go back and see your chosen vet and ask for a refund if the previous treatment is unnecessary.  Vets should not do this.  Imagine if GPs did it to you on the spot once you'd arrived at the GP surgery, there would be outrage!!

Update .... Result
Got an appointment with the vet I wanted this afternoon, definitely NOT hotspot (which I already worked out!)

Could be minor low grade infection from something like caught it on a thorn or more likely banged it on something, she did a needle aspiration on the fluid ....... very watery with small amount of dilute blood.
Got antibiotics ... also no charge for consult and full refund on pred tablets.

Receptionist now knows that if I have booked to see J and a sub is there to let me know and I can cancel.

Part of problem its a branch surgery with one vet coming over, the main centre is about 14 miles away and this is actually in the village so for travel and convenience it is good.