A RETIRED bookkeeper had to have her leg amputated after NHS doctors bungled her care.

Surgeons amputated the Royal Wootton Bassett’s woman leg above the knee after doctors waited over a month before treating her narrowed arteries.

Now, the woman - who has shared her story on the condition that she remained anonymous - has been paid £575,000 in compensation by Great Western Hospital and the GP who initially treated her. It has taken six years to secure the pay-out.

She was 68 years old when she phoned her Tinkers Lane Surgery complaining of pain in her little toe, which had turned blue.

But despite a series of phone calls and appointments at her GP surgery, she was not seen by a hospital doctor until a month after she first experienced the pain.

At one point her husband dialled 999 and asked for a paramedic and an ambulance but was refused.

Part of the delay in treatment had been due to a communication breakdown. The patient’s GP had left an urgent message, asking for her to be referred to hospital – but then failed to check this was done.

The woman had critical limb ischemia, a severe blockage in the artery. It reduces blood flow to the lower extremities and – if left untreated – can result in serious complications, requiring amputation.

Nearly six weeks after first complaining of the pain in her foot, the patient was told she would undergo an artery-widening procedure. She was told the procedure would be in three days’ time – but then it was delayed for 24 hours. Had the patient been treated in time, she would have lost only her little toe – instead of her left leg above the knee.

She now struggles with mobility. She and her husband have had to borrow against the value of their four-bedroom family home in Royal Wootton Bassett to buy a £32,893 prosthetic leg.

They have also had to buy a stairlift, mobility scooter, electric wheelchair, travel wheelchair and a ramp.

It took six years of litigation before Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and GP Dr Ceri Davies agreed to settle the claim for £575,000 compensation plus costs.

Coles Miller partner David Simpson, who secured the pay-out on the woman’s behalf, said: “Medical errors by the defendants resulted in our client suffering a terrible life-changing injury.

“It has significantly impacted her mobility, her quality of life and – in her own words – has had a dreadful psychological effect on her.

“Following her injury, she felt anxious about being in public places. She was intimidated by social situations and how she would appear to people.

“Medical negligence cases generally take several years to complete because of their complexity and because of all the expert clinical evidence required.

“This has been one of the longest cases we’ve ever had. It took much longer than normal because two defendants were involved but we were absolutely determined to get justice for our client.”

A spokeswoman for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Earlier this year we settled this case out of court, in conjunction with our co-defendant. As the case is now closed, we are not in a position to comment any further but do wish the patient well.”

Rob Noel, practice manager at Tinkers Lane surgery, said: “We cannot comment on individual cases and the GP involved, Dr Ceri Davies, left the practice in 2014. The team of health professionals at Tinkers Lane Surgery remain committed to providing high quality healthcare for all our patients.”