Man awarded £90,000 after suicide attempt

A man who tried to kill himself has successfully sued the hospital which saved his life for £90,000 damages.

Michael Dexter, from the town of Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, has received an out-of-court payout following a six-year legal fight with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Mr Dexter, now 58, had taken a cocktail of 100 pills with rum and cola one morning in December 2002.

He was rushed to Blackburn Royal Infirmary after his wife, Stephanie, and young sons, Martin and Trevor, returned home to find he had overdosed.

His legal team argued that, after arriving at A&E unconscious, Mr Dexter was given at least four times the correct dose of neutralising drugs – causing severe tissue damage to his right arm, which he described as "third-degree burns". 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."

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."