Yorkshire runner left disabled after suffering heatstroke during Great North Run

Luke Oldfield, 31, collapsed at the finish line after completing the half marathon and was rushed to A&E at South Tyneside District Hospital in South Shields.

The PhD university student told medics he couldn't remember the last half of the race - but was discharged just hours later despite his ECG being abnormal.

He later suffered multi-organ failure and a severe brain injury, resulting in mobility issues which has left him in a wheelchair as well as speech and vision impairments.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has since apologised after admitting a breach of duty and agreed staff should have monitored him for longer.

Luke, who spent nearly two years in hospital and a rehabilitation unit, has now spoken about the life-changing impact of the injuries which forced him to put his studies on hold.

Luke, of Thirsk, said: "Before all this, I was an independent and active and was concentrating on my PhD and the future. I don't remember the end of the Great North Run, just coming round in the tent afterwards.

"I knew I was in a bad way but when I was sent home from hospital that night I just trusted what I was told. The days afterwards I wasn't myself. I was tired and aching all over. I don't really remember much after that."

Luke was 25 when he took part in the Great North Run on September 8, 2019 and was treated in a medical tent before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

The Leeds Beckett University student was discharged later that evening without any safety advice on signs and symptoms to look out for.

He then developed flu-like symptoms in the days leading up to a trip to Chicago to give a lecture as part of his PhD studies.

Nine days after the Great North Run, Luke was hospitalised with acute liver failure and was airlifted to Detroit for an emergency liver transplant.

Luke went on to suffer multi-organ failure and became critically ill. After six weeks in hospital, he was flown back to the UK.

He remained in a rehabilitation centre until September 2021 and has since managed to complete his PhD studies.

Luke added: "When I came round from my surgeries the gravity of what happened started to hit. I awoke a totally different person and one who couldn't do anything for himself.

"It's almost impossible to find the words to describe what spending nearly two years in a rehab centre was like. I struggled to communicate and couldn't event cut food up myself.

"There were a lot of dark and emotional times, but I was determined to try and reclaim some of my old life and re-starting my studies. It has been a long haul with many setbacks and obstacles but obtaining my PhD will always be my proudest achievement.

"I know my life hasn't turned out as I thought but I'm so grateful to be alive and want to make the most of it. I can't thank the doctors in America and the medical staff once I was back in the UK for everything they did for me.

"I still face many challenges with my speech, mobility, writing, memory, fatigue and anything that requires coordination. I've had to move to a home that has been adapted for my needs and to allow me to regain some, however big or small, independence back.

"I just hope that by sharing my story I can not only warn others of the dangers of heatstroke but also inspire people who may be going through a life-changing event that help and support is available and they can still achieve their dreams."

Luke went on to ask medical negligence lawyers at law firm Irwin Mitchell to investigate and help him access ongoing rehabilitation and therapy.

Tracy Tai, the lawyer representing Luke, said: "While the signs of heat exhaustion often pass, if they don't they can turn into heat stroke, which is a medical emergency and can result in life-changing complications, such as in Lukes's case.

"The last few years have been incredibly traumatic for Luke and his family. Understandably they've had many questions and concerns about what happened, especially around the decision to discharge him from hospital on the evening of the Great North Run.

"Worrying issues in Luke's A&E care have been admitted. While Luke has shown great determination to try and not be defined by his injuries, he still faces an uncertain future and many challenges.

"We're determined to ensure Luke has access to the specialist life-long support and therapies he requires to maximise his recovery. In the meantime, we urge everyone to be aware of the dangers of heat stroke and the need for care standards to be upheld at all times."

The hospital trust accepted if Luke had been kept in hospital, tests may have highlighted a gradual decline in his liver and kidney function. However, the trust denied it would have prevented him from suffering any kidney damage.

The trust also argued Luke's liver damage was caused by heatstroke so even if he had remained in hospital it was likely he would have still required a transplant. It added he would have still suffered multi-organ failure and a brain injury.

Luke's neurological problems connected to his liver damage were not caused by the trust's breach of duty, it also claimed.

Dr Shaz Wahid, executive medical director of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are sorry that we did not keep Luke in hospital for longer when he arrived with us showing signs of heat stroke after taking part in the Great North Run.

"Although it is not clear whether this would have changed his overall health outcome, there is no doubt that we should have monitored him for a longer period of time and for that we wholeheartedly apologise.

"We have since taken steps to make sure our teams learn from Luke's experience with further training introduced to ensure, as far as possible, we prevent this from happening again."

According to the NHS, heatstroke is a potentially life-threatening condition and should be treated as an emergency. Symptoms include tiredness, dizziness, headache, feeling sick or being sick, high temperature, being very thirsty and weakness.