Hospital pays for embarrassing smell

A care worker who was forced to spend £2,000 on mints to mask an offensive personal odour won compensation yesterday from the hospital that caused the problem by leaving a rubber splint in his nose after a routine operation.

Kevin Corcoran has been paid £10,600 in an out-of-court settlement, 12 years after the operation at Hope Hospital, Salford. He had endured years of pain, colds and the smell from his mouth and nose similar to that given off by an infected wound.

The embarrassing smell, which began four years ago, was so strong he couldn't even face his fiancée to give his wedding vows in 1999. Later that year Mr Corcoran's GP sent him for further surgery and doctors found the splint and removed it. Mr Corcoran, 28, of Salford, Greater Manchester, said: "Now at last I can get on with my life. It's a huge relief the splint has gone. All the time I didn't know what the problem was."

Mr Corcoran was suffering from a blockage in his nose when he had two splints put in. Only one was removed and doctors could not find the second one.

Gary Raphael, acting chief executive of the health authority, said he was pleased a settlement had been reached.