A CATHEDRAL which had to pay out £130,000 to a worshipper who tripped and injured himself during a service is now suing the NHS over the man’s treatment.

Christopher Shepherd was attending a service at Ripon Cathedral in North Yorkshire two days before Christmas 2008, when he tripped and fractured his foot. The injury was so severe he was left using a wheelchair and unable to walk further than 100 yards.

According to documents filed at London’s High Court, Ripon Cathedral agreed to pay Mr Shepherd £130,200 in compensation and legal costs in February 2013.

But the cathedral is now suing the NHS in a bid to get back at least part of its money.

Its lawyers claim negligent medical treatment led to Mr Shepherd's injury developing into something much more serious than it otherwise would have done.

In the writ, the cathedral's lawyer, Richard Copnall, says that Mr Shepherd sought advice regarding his injured foot from doctors employed by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust on Christmas Eve 2008 and on January 13, 2009.

But he claims that the serious fracture was not diagnosed until Mr Shepherd had a private consultation on March 18, 2009.

Mr Copnall goes on to allege that the failure to diagnose the break "caused a delay in treatment of approximately 100 days."

That delay, he claims, led to Mr Shepherd needing to have the bones of his foot fused surgically, an operation which had a devastating knock-on effect on his mobility.

Immobilized in plaster for four months, he had been "left with a walking distance of 100 yards, with a stick" and needed a wheelchair for longer distances.

The writ claims: "In the absence of the delay, Mr Shepherd would have avoided the need for fusion surgery (and) recovered with only ongoing nuisance level symptoms".

Mr Copnall added that the cathedral want a contribution from the NHS trust towards the payout they have already made to Mr Shepherd.

The defence of the trust to the action was not available from the court and the contents of the writ have yet to be tested in evidence before a judge.

Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said today (Thursday, March 26) it is unable to comment on the case while it is ongoing.