Leslie Ash admits ‘they totally messed up my life’ as she defends £5m NHS payout: ‘I was made a laughing stock’

Leslie had to learn to walk again after the infection

Men Behaving Badly star Leslie Ash, 65, has opened up about the £5 million payout she received from the NHS after picking up a near-fatal hospital infection.

The star, who has appeared in shows such as Holby City, Merseybeat and C.A.T.S Eyes, revealed all in a recent podcast appearance.

Leslie sued the NHS in 2008 (Credit: CoverImages.com)

Leslie Ash on suing the NHS for £5 million

Back in 2004, Leslie contracted an aggressive superbug while being treated for broken ribs. She’d fallen out of bed while drunk and broken her ribs, puncturing one of her lungs in the process.

Upon arrival at the hospital, she was given an epidural to manage the pain, rather than a numbing injection.

The needle was then left in situ, so she could top up her own pain relief. However, over the weekend she was in the hospital, the needle came out, and the infection, MSSA – similar to MRSA – went directly into her spinal column.

The infection caused partial paralysis and long-term mobility issues, and left her having to use crutches for years. She has also been on painkillers for the past 15 years and still has balance issues.

The actress explained that she was two hours away from the infection reaching her brain, which “would have been it”.

In 2008, she took successful legal action against the NHS, suing them for £5 million. However, the size of the payout received backlash at the time.

It wasn’t the first time that Leslie had received unwanted media attention. In her thirties, Leslie had her lips plumped up via collagen injection. However, when she repeated the procedure in her 40s, the injection caused swelling, which became permanent.

The condition was cruelly dubbed a “trout pout” by the press.

Leslie on health woes

Speaking on the How Do You Cope? podcast recently, Leslie – married to ex-footballer Lee Chapman – argued that the NHS “messed up” her life.

“They totally messed my life up,” she said. “I had to sue the NHS. It was preventable [the infection]. I had to sue. I needed the bloody money; otherwise, we would have lost our London flat, we would have lost everything. I know a lot of people dislike me for suing the NHS, but, you know, the NHS is brilliant but they make mistakes.”

She then said that the NHS “closed ranks” and tried to argue that she’d got the infection after they’d discharged her.

“I don’t take any joy in suing the NHS, but when they make a mistake, they have to hold their hands up,” she said.

She then said that the incident marked the beginning of a downward spiral. “We had such a fantastic life, then suddenly it was like having the rug pulled from under your feet,” she said.

Leslie opened up about her lips (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Leslie Ash on her ‘trout pout’

During the podcast, Leslie also opened up about the incident that saw her lips swell up, and the media mockery that followed.

“It was horrible. Every single day I woke up, someone said something new in a newspaper. It was so hurtful. It was so upsetting. Because you spend all this time sort of building a career for yourself, doing a good job, and getting people on your side, and people know your name, and you know, people send you scripts. And then suddenly, you’re made a laughing stock,” she said.

“It was just a horrible time in my life,” she added.

“Now it’s totally normal to have lips even bigger than what I had back then.”

She then added that she doesn’t want people to see herself as a “victim”. Leslie recently showed off the results of a non-surgical ‘facelift’ online, to praise from fans.