Diabetic Wins £750,000 After Medical Errors

A man from Weston-super-Mare whose leg had to be amputated after medical staff failed to diagnose a serious diabetic infection in his foot has won damages of £750,000.

Businessman Bob Wareham, 54, developed the infection in August 2008. He attended an out-of-hours GP service next to Weston General Hospital, where he was told that he had athlete’s foot and was prescribed antibiotics.

Two days later, he returned to the hospital’s accident and emergency department, where it was discovered that he had a diabetic foot infection. At this point he was sent home when he should have been admitted to hospital or referred for immediate treatment. His condition continued to worsen and he returned to the hospital three days later. This time he was admitted, but he was not seen by a specialist team for a further three days. By this time, the infection was so severe that it was necessary to amputate his right leg about six inches below the knee.

Mr Wareham brought a claim for compensation. Had his condition not initially been misdiagnosed, and had there not been subsequent delays in referring him to a specialist, the amputation would not have been necessary. After a legal battle lasting three and a half years, his claim was finally settled out of court for £750,000. This sum will compensate him for the suffering he underwent as well as the damage to his businesses resulting from his spending time in hospital.