Man wins £90,000 after suicide bid
A MAN who tried to commit suicide has been paid £90,000 compensation after he sued the hospital which saved his life.
Michael Dexter, 58, from Lancashire, was rushed to accident and emergency after taking a cocktail of around 100 pills and rum.
At the hospital a drug given to stop the effects of his overdose caused damage to his left arm because he was given four times the correct dose.
Although doctors saved his life Mr Dexter took legal action against the hospital and has been awarded the cash in an out-of-court settlement after a six year fight.
He said: "I know they saved my life but if you went in with a heart attack you wouldn't expect to leave with a limb you can't use.
"I had to go to a burns specialist for plastic surgery. They removed tendons from the wrist and I have had three skin grafts.
"There are not many people who come out of hospital worse than when they went in."
"I cannot even cuddle my wife with my right hand now. I'm still able to drive but I have a job putting the keys in the ignition. I can't dry glasses or cook dinners. I used to love gardening but I don't do that now."
Mr Dexter, a former British Airways engineer from Oswaldtwistle, had been taken to Blackburn Royal after being found by his wife Stephanie, and young sons Martin and Trevor after taking the overdose in December 2002.
He took legal action against East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Medical notes indicated that hours after he was admitted to hospital, Mr Dexter was given at least one 200ml dose of 8.4 per cent sodium bicarbonate.
A report prepared by his solicitor with the help of an independent expert concluded that 50ml would be the usual dose if administered this way, and heavily diluted.
Mr Dexter claims he has lost 75 per cent use of his arm and has been unable to find work since despite trying to get a job.
His depression stemmed from having left a job of 23 years as an engineer for British Airways to move north.
Mistake
He recalled: "I thought I had made a big mistake by moving up here. Some people do it to seek attention but I very much wanted to kill myself. I was quite ill.
"For months I was led to believe that I had pulled a tube out of my arm which made it burn. I left it at that for weeks and then somebody said this shouldn't have happened and I should try and claim damages."
Personal injury lawyer Michael Heyes, of Haworth and Nuttall Solicitors, said: "No matter what the circumstances of how he got there, he was still entitled to be treated appropriately. I'm just happy that he's got a reasonable amount."
Michael made a second attempt on his life three years later but feels he is just as entitled to compensation as any other patient who is treated negligently.
"A mental health problem is an illness like any other," he said.
He added: "Most people would be rushing down the road or booking a holiday but the money hasn't made me smile. I'm just empty. I didn't do it for money, I did it for principles and the way I was treated."
A spokesman for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "We are pleased that a settlement has been agreed in respect of Mr Dexter's claim. The Trust would like to wish Mr Dexter well for the future."
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Originally Posted by beerman
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