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Amputee wins £100k compensation

Published 02/11/2007

A man who lost part of his leg after contracting MRSA while in hospital with a broken leg has been awarded over £100,000 in compensation, the Daily Record reports.

While in Borders General Hospital, 40-year-old Michael McColm developed MRSA in a wound into which a metal rod had been inserted.

After becoming infected with the bacterium, 40-year-old Michael McColm was forced to have his right leg removed below the knee.

Heavy growth of MRSA was reported six weeks after his leg operation had taken place; however, a week later medics decided not to administer antibiotic treatment as the wound was said to be "healthy and improving".

A sheriff at Selkirk Sheriff Court blamed negligence by the hospital NHS trust for the loss of Mr McColm's limb and awarded him £102,583.

MRSA is notoriously difficult to treat due to the antibiotic resistance possessed by the bacteria.

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