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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| £5m hospital bug payout for Ash | £5m hospital bug payout for Ash |
| (1 day later) | |
| Actress Leslie Ash has won a record £5m compensation payout after contracting a hospital-acquired infection. | Actress Leslie Ash has won a record £5m compensation payout after contracting a hospital-acquired infection. |
| The Men Behaving Badly star developed MSSA (Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus) at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London in 2004. | The Men Behaving Badly star developed MSSA (Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus) at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London in 2004. |
| The payment to Ms Ash, 47, who now walks with a stick, includes compensation for money she would have earned if she had carried on working. | The payment to Ms Ash, 47, who now walks with a stick, includes compensation for money she would have earned if she had carried on working. |
| The hospital said it had "learnt from its mistakes". | The hospital said it had "learnt from its mistakes". |
| It's the highest we have ever paid out Steve Walker, NHS Litigation Authority chief executive | It's the highest we have ever paid out Steve Walker, NHS Litigation Authority chief executive |
| Ms Ash had been admitted to hospital in April 2004 after suffering two cracked ribs after falling off her bed on to a table during a love-making session with her husband, retired footballer Lee Chapman. | Ms Ash had been admitted to hospital in April 2004 after suffering two cracked ribs after falling off her bed on to a table during a love-making session with her husband, retired footballer Lee Chapman. |
| MSSA, unlike MRSA, does respond to standard antibiotic treatment. | MSSA, unlike MRSA, does respond to standard antibiotic treatment. |
| Ms Ash's lawyer, Janice Gardner, from Russell Cooke solicitors, said the actress was pleased with the payout and that the case had been settled out of court. | Ms Ash's lawyer, Janice Gardner, from Russell Cooke solicitors, said the actress was pleased with the payout and that the case had been settled out of court. |
| Hard going | Hard going |
| "I think she is delighted that we could reach an amicable settlement. | "I think she is delighted that we could reach an amicable settlement. |
| "Nobody really wants to go to court. It would have been hard going for her. | "Nobody really wants to go to court. It would have been hard going for her. |
| "In a case when you have got serious injuries you have to be reasonably satisfied that the injuries have settled before you can settle the claim." | "In a case when you have got serious injuries you have to be reasonably satisfied that the injuries have settled before you can settle the claim." |
| A spokesman for the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust apologised to Ms Ash for "shortcomings in her care when she was a patient". | A spokesman for the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust apologised to Ms Ash for "shortcomings in her care when she was a patient". |
| He added: "We sincerely regret the injuries that she sustained as a result of these failings." | He added: "We sincerely regret the injuries that she sustained as a result of these failings." |
| "The trust carried out a full review of all relevant procedures in this case to learn from its mistakes and to improve patient care. | "The trust carried out a full review of all relevant procedures in this case to learn from its mistakes and to improve patient care. |
| "As a direct result, the trust updated its guidelines and provided nurses with additional training on monitoring infection." | "As a direct result, the trust updated its guidelines and provided nurses with additional training on monitoring infection." |
| Steve Walker, chief executive of the NHS Litigation Authority, said the payout set a new record for compensation following a hospital-acquired infection. | Steve Walker, chief executive of the NHS Litigation Authority, said the payout set a new record for compensation following a hospital-acquired infection. |
| "It's the highest we have ever paid out. It's high because she was earning a lot of money before this happened. | "It's the highest we have ever paid out. It's high because she was earning a lot of money before this happened. |
| "Most of the value of the award is either past loss of earnings or prospective future loss of earnings." | "Most of the value of the award is either past loss of earnings or prospective future loss of earnings." |
| Peter Walsh, of the group Action against Medical Accidents, said: "Thousands of people are gravely affected or even killed by avoidable hospital acquired infections every year. | |
| "However, the continuing restriction of legal aid means that very few people can afford even to have their case investigated. | |
| "Legal aid should be extended and consideration given to a special compensation scheme for those affected by these infections, to make compensation more accessible to all." |