A father-of-two had to undergo emergency surgery to save his life after doctors at Bradford Royal Infirmary failed to diagnose and treat him correctly.

Wayne McAlister, 41, of Clayton, is pursuing damages against Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust after winning an admission his treatment was below standard.

The former self-employed hairdresser was suffering with a condition which could have been resolved with a course of intravenous antibiotics when he attended the A&E department at Bradford Royal Infirmary in August 2008, complaining of severe constipation.

However, he was not seen by a senior doctor and his diverticular disease went undiagnosed. This delay led to his bowel perforating and he developed a condition called purulent peritonitis.

Surgeons had to carry out an emergency operation, called a Hartmann’s procedure, to fit a colostomy bag, following which Mr McAlister had to be admitted to intensive care.

“I was in bits,” said Mr McAlister. “It ruined my life and I was completely suicidal. I was left with a massive open wound that wouldn’t heal and a colostomy bag.”

He went on to develop a hernia and has since undergone several operations, including skin grafts, in a bid to correct the damage and reverse the colostomy.

These operations have not been without complications, such as bleeds and infections, and at the end of his tether Mr McAlister consulted Morrish Solicitors in Bradford in 2010, who pursued a claim of medical negligence against the hospital trust on his behalf.

Last month the NHS Litigation Authority confirmed that, after investigations, the hospital trust found its treatment of Mr McAlister had fallen “below a reasonable standard and breach of duty is admitted”.

The letter from the NHS Litigation Authority adds: “With regard to causation it is admitted that had your client been appropriately treated this condition would have resolved with intravenous antibiotics. It is also admitted that the Hartmann’s procedure and subsequent complicated and delayed recovery could have been avoided.”

Mr McAlister will now work with his solicitor to put a value on his compensation claim.

“It has been mental torture,” he said. “I have been more or less housebound for the last three years and will never be able to work again.

“The surgeons say they saved my life but they should not have had to do that in the first place.

“I have never had an apology but I wouldn’t mind one. I was used to earning money but I have had to survive on benefits and it has affected my kids.

“They have been upset because at times I haven’t been able to see them because I was mentally and physically done in. I have been angry, frustrated and so upset.

“It isn’t over now. I have been left with a 13-and-three-quarter- inch scar and no belly button. It is part of my life forever, just because of their mistake.”

A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We can confirm that a claim for damages is being pursued against the Foundation Trust in relation to treatment Mr McAlister received at the Bradford Royal Infirmary in August 2008. It has been admitted that his treatment fell below a reasonable standard at the time and discussions are currently under way with his solicitors.

“We would like to assure our patients that the Foundation Trust looks carefully at all claims that are brought against it to ensure that lessons are learned and that appropriate steps are taken to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again.”

e-mail: claire.lomax@telegraphandargus.co.uk