AN eye bug victim whose case helped prompt a major investigation at Burnley General Hospital has won a £25,000 compensation settlement.

Pensioner Peter Brammer was one of three patients who had an eyeball removed by surgeons at Burnley General after routine cataract operations performed on the same day went wrong.

All three were infected by a deadly bacteria and antibiotics failed to save their sight in one eye.

Now, more than four years after the tragedy, Mr Brammer, 75, formerly of Lansdowne Close, Burnley, and now living in Orpington, Kent, has received a payout from hospital bosses - but says he still bears the psychological scars of his ordeal. After the alarm was raised, the eye theatre was closed and further surgery postponed as infection control teams battled to track down the bug, which rapidly destroys eye cells.

A Department of Health inquiry cleared Burnley General of fault and resulted in new instructions being sent to all hospitals, ordering higher levels of equipment sterilisation.

Mr Brammer went into Burnley General Hospital in May 1995 for a cataract operation on his left eye after sight in both his eyes had deteriorated to the point where he could see little more than light and shadow.

After he came round from the operation he was told all had gone well, but within 24 hours it was clear something was seriously wrong. At first doctors told him he had picked up a bug that needed to be treated with antibiotic eyedrops. But Mr Brammer had to have his eye removed, like two other people who were operated on that day.

The infection in his eye was caused by a bacteria called pseudomonas which was spread by equipment used to wash the eye during surgery.

Mr Brammer and his wife moved to Orpington so he could recuperate near his daughter and her family.

He said: "After the operation I lost all my confidence and I was dependent on my wife for a long time. I wouldn't get on the bus on my own and I couldn't cycle, which I used to love, and I gave my mountain bike to my grandson.

"We moved to Kent to be near my daughter, but I didn't like it at first as I had lived in Burnley for more than 40 years, but I have got used to it now.

"When I went in to Burnley General for that operation I didn't think it was any better or any worse than any other hospital, and the nurses were nice. But I do think more care should have been taken to prevent such a dangerous bacteria. Four people had the operation that day and three of them lost an eye, which isn't very good."

Solictors from top medical negligence firm Alexander Harris fought Mr Brammer's case, which cost him around £7,000.

Since he moved to Kent, Mr Brammer has had a succesful cataract operation on his other eye at Farnborough Hospital.

Burnley Health Trust today declined to comment on Mr Brammer's or the other cases involved.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.