The woman from Bath was told two months after she sustained her thumb injury she had ruptured ligaments and needed an operation under anaesthesia at Royal United Hospital (RUH).

Following the operation she was informed her surgery had been halted midway as the ligaments did not require treatment.

The 37-year-old, who was represented by Hudgell Solicitors, said: ‘My thumb wasn't what it was, and I guess it will never be the same.

‘I was back in work three months after it happened, but I still can't work out why it took so long for them to find out what happened.

‘To this day, I still actually don't have a clue what I did to my hand. All I know is that I've got this for life and I'm worse off than before I had the operation.'

An RUH spokesperson said: ‘We are sorry that the patient in this case has experienced longer-lasting pain. The diagnosis and treatment of ruptured ligaments can be a complex and nuanced clinical decision. All surgery is a balance of benefits and risks, and in this situation we accept the independent expert's view that surgical exploration was not necessary.'