A husband was left so traumatised by his wife 's botched surgery that he was awarded thousands of pounds in compensation for nervous shock , despite his wife already being given a hefty payout . In a case which could have huge financial consequences for the NHS , Julie Ronayne was awarded £160,000 after she was left 'looking like Michelin man ' following the bungled hysterectomy in 2008 . Her husband Edward , who lives with Mrs Ronayne in Netherley , Liverpool , was awarded £9,000 due to the nervous shock he suffered when he saw his wife 's appearance . Edward Ronayne was given £9,000 in compensation after he claimed he suffered a psychiatric injury from seeing his wife swell up 'like Michelin man ' after botched surgery at Liverpool Women 's Hospital ( pictured ) The severe swelling had been caused by a dangerous infection known as peritonitis , which the woman had contracted during the surgery at Liverpool Women 's Hospital . The NHS is now fighting to overturn the payout , fearing it could have disastrous consequences for the organisation . The test case , being heard at London 's Appeal Court , could set a significant precedent about who is able to claim for shock or distress following an NHS mishap . Mr Ronayne was awarded the damages from Liverpool Women ’ s NHS Foundation Trust in July 2013 . Liverpool County Court heard how he had been a 'secondary victim ' of the incident and had suffered psychiatric injury caused by the shock of seeing his wife 's new appearance . He had described her 'colloquially as looking like a Michelin man ' , the court heard . Mr Ronayne also described his wife 's first two days in hospital as 'the worst days of my entire life ' . He said he had been 'brought up not to complain ' but had never fully recovered from the sight . He added that he had been left feeling tearful , overwhelmed , angry and powerless . The judge , who described him as 'an honest and reliable witness ' , said : 'His symptoms ... were pathological and went beyond simply the distress and anger that a man would suffer due to the near terminal illness of his wife . ' But in the appeal court today , Charles Cory-Wright QC , who represents the health trust , told the judges that nervous shock victims are normally only awarded compensation if it can be proved that they have been left with psychiatric injury . He said Mr Ronayne 's win had moved the goalposts drastically and could lead to a flood of similar claims , costing the cash-strapped NHS millions in compensation . The barrister argued that Mr Ronayne would not have suffered a sufficient level of shock to qualify for compensation . He added that he was visiting his wife in hospital and therefore would have expected her to look unwell . He told the court : 'Hospitals on a day-to-day basis deal with people who are ill or vulnerable . They go there followed by their loved ones . It is unfortunately a matter of day-to-day occurrence that great emotional responses will take place in a hospital . The NHS is now fighting to overturn the payout , fearing it could have disastrous consequences for the organisation if Mr Ronayne is allowed to keep the money . The test case is being heard at the appeal court . 'The question arises more and more often in cases like this as to whether those relatives have a claim . ' Stressing the importance of the appeal , he told the judges : 'This appeal is not just about this case , but the concerns NHS Trusts have about claims being brought on a secondary basis where clinical negligence has taken place . Peritonitis is caused by inflammation of the peritoneum , the thin layer of tissue that lines the inside of the stomach . It is caused by a bacterial or fungal infection , which can rapidly spread around the body . Peritonitis requires immediate treatment and is a medical emergency . Most cases of peritonitis are the result of infection or injury to another part of the body , such as a split stomach ulcer , a burst appendix or digestive disorders . Peritonitis can be fatal and needs to be treated quickly to avoid such complications . Source : NHS . 'The effect of this judgement , if it stands , is to alter the effect of the law in secondary victim cases , as the award was made absent any evidential basis that the secondary victim suffered any psychiatric injury as a result of shock . 'Often emotional illness follows , but there is not the necessary element of shock . There needs to be a suddenly shocking event which , because of its shocking nature , causes that psychiatric illness . That is often lost in the wash in these cases . ' But Lord Justice Sullivan said the incident had no doubt been 'shocking ' 'Simply going into hospital and seeing one 's loved ones and family looking peaky is not enough , ' he said . 'But to see one 's wife looking like the Michelin man is shocking . ' Mr Cory-Wright then replied : 'If you saw your loved one looking like the Michelin man , swollen and all that , it would be shocking in an ordinary sense . 'But it would not be shocking in the sense of being suddenly overwhelmed so as to lead to psychiatric injury . ' The judges recognised the importance of the case by reserving their decision on the trust 's appeal until a later date . The case was heard in front of Lord Justice Sullivan , Lord Justice Tomlinson and Lord Justice Beatson . Mrs Ronayne went on to make a good recovery .
Julie Ronayne was given £160,000 after a botched hysterectomy in 2008 . She contracted peritonitis following surgery at NHS . Husband Edward was given £9,000 for 'shock ' and being 'secondary victim ' NHS fighting payout , fearing it could open the floodgates to similar claims .