A father-of-four has won £2.75m compensation after failings by Croydon University Hospital left him paralysed from the waist down.

The awarding of the settlement at the High Court brings to an end a long fight for justice after problems with medical treatment that started nine years ago.

In 2006 the man, who can not be named due to his vulnerability, visited his GP complaining of acute pain in his lower legs which was starting to affect his mobility.

The doctor believed his symptoms were due to a non-urgent muscular problem so the patient’s hospital appointment was not until April 2007.

By then the 44-year-old could not stand up on his own.

It was discovered he had been suffering from a prolapsed disc that had become considerably worse because of the delay in treatment.

An MRI scan did not take place until a month later and showed there was an urgent need for surgery.

He was made to believe this surgery would improve his condition and he would be able to walk unaided and live an independent life.

Instead after the procedure he was left with no sensation or function below the 10th thoracic vertebra, which is in the lower middle back.

More surgery was carried out days later failed to improve his situation.

After four years of negotiations between the man’s legal representatives, Anthony Gold law firm, and the NHS, the settlement was announced at the High Court last week.

The breakdown of payments is a lump sum of £1.74m and the NHS will be paying him £35,000 a year on top of that to cover the costs of his ongoing care. 

The annual figure will then rise to £120,000 in 2029 and the money will continue for the rest of the man’s life. 

Jackie Spinks, a partner at Anthony Gold, said: "This was a devastating chain of events for my client, leaving him with life-changing injuries, which he and his family have had to come to terms with.  

"While this settlement will not change what happened, it will allow him a better quality of life with the financial security of knowing he can pay for the care he needs now and into the future.

"It has been a long journey. The settlement has given my client some closure and allow him look to his future." 

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust spokesman said: "We sincerely apologise to him and his family. 

"We hope that the resolution of this case will enable his lifetime needs to be properly met."