A pensioner who suffered three devastating strokes before medics diagnosed an underlying heart problem is in line for over £500,000 in NHS damages.

The woman, aged in her 60s, suffered from an irregular heart beat, resulting in blood clots forming that travelled around her body, the High Court heard.

And, between early 2011 and late 2013, she suffered three strokes of increasing severity, said Judge Martin McKenna.

She had been treated after each of the strokes at a hospital run by the Hereford's Wye Valley NHS Trust, he told the court in London.

But it was not until after the third that tests were carried out which revealed her heart problem, and only then were blood-thinning drugs prescribed.

The woman, who cannot be named, had also discovered a lump in her breast in 2013, but it was not until June the following year that malignant breast cancer was diagnosed.

Following chemotherapy, she suffered yet another stroke - her fourth - but that made little difference to her disabilities, the court heard.

The end result, however, was that she was left partially paralysed with her memory and thinking skills gravely impaired, said Judge McKenna.

An "anxious and irritable" shadow of her former self, she depends on her devoted husband and resists being cared for by anyone else.

The judge said the NHS trust had admitted breach of duty and accepted responsibility for 95% of the damage caused by the first three strokes.

The trust, he added, has already paid her £100,000 interim damages to tide her over until the full amount of her compensation is finally assessed.

And now he has ordered the trust to make another £350,000 down-payment so that a bungalow can be bought and adapted to cater for her needs.

The judge said that, on a "conservative assessment", her total compensation would eventually reach at least £524,000.