Leslie Ash wins record £5million - not £500,000 - payout over hospital's MRSA blunder
Actress Leslie Ash has won a record £5 million payout - well in excess of the £500,000 Ash was initially reported to have been awarded - after nearly dying from a superbug infection.
Her lawyers said the former Men Behaving Badly star was “delighted” with the huge lump sum agreement.
It does not include £250,000 in legal fees for the cost of the lawsuit.
Janice Gardner, from Russell-Cooke solicitors, said: “This is a significant settlement which recognises that Leslie has been seriously injured and compromised.
“She is delighted that the legal action is now over. It's been an incredible strain for her.” Ms Gardner added that Ash, who is married to retired footballer Lee Chapman, would continue to campaign on behalf of other patients who had contracted hospital infections.
“She has been campaigning on this issue since she fell ill,” the lawyer said. “This compensation highlights the seriousness of the case.”
Ash is expected to receive the money within the next 28 days from Chelsea and Westminster NHS trust.
The actress was a patient at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital when she contracted the MRSA infection.
She was admitted in April 2004 with a punctured lung and two broken ribs. Ash told doctors she fell out of bed after a frantic sex session with her husband. She had an epidural as part of her treatment and a few days later found she had no feeling from her chest down.
The actress, who still needs a stick to walk, described the impact the infection had had on her career in a High Court writ served on the hospital.
