A mother had to have her leg amputated at Croydon University Hospital because of “a lack of urgency” in treating a blood clot.

The woman, known as Mrs F, was paid £75,000 in compensation after the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman concluded the hospital had failed to treat her properly.

The case is highlighted in the Ombudsman’s annual report.

The patient, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and diabetes was admitted to hospital with an ulcer on her foot and pain in her leg.

Tests showed her main artery had narrowed, and before surgery could be performed to fix the problem, Mrs F developed a blood clot which blocked the blood supply to the lower part of her leg.

Surgeons removed the clot but no action was taken to prevent the problem recurring. Within days, she had developed another blood clot and Mrs F had to have her leg amputated above the knee.

Doctors compounded the failure by stitching a surgical drain into Mrs F’s leg by mistake. It had to be removed under general anaesthetic.

An Ombudsman spokesman said: “Mrs F’s daughter complained to us that the delays in arranging treatment for her mother led to the amputation. She told us that Mrs F is now housebound and cannot drive and the costs of her care are rising.

“Her family are picking up the emotional and financial costs of what went wrong, causing significant distress to them all.

“We found a lack of urgency in arranging investigations into and treatment of Mrs F’s condition.

“We concluded that it was probable that the failure to take appropriate action after the blood clot was removed led to the need for amputation.”

A spokeswoman from Croydon University Hospital said: "This complaint relates to an incident in 2006.

"The Trust accepts the Ombudsman’s findings and has apologised and paid compensation to Mrs F and her daughter.

"Since then we have put in place actions to reduce the chance of something similar happening again.

"This includes weekly joint meetings between the vascular team and radiologists and a fast track system for rapid access to diagnostic tests."