The family of a 34-year-old fitness enthusiast left with locked-in syndrome are suing the NHS after doctors at Warrington Hospital dismissed his life-threatening brain condition as a virus. Oli Coppock, from Warrington, Cheshire, has spent over two years unable to speak, eat or move, communicating only through eye movements, after staff failed to order a CT scan despite his medical records showing recent brain surgery and radiotherapy. The case highlights the devastating consequences of misdiagnosis and has prompted his family to seek accountability and compensation, though they fear help may come too late.

Mr Coppock attended A&E in May 2024 with dizziness, fatigue and vomiting, following treatment months earlier for a benign growth near his brain stem linked to his multiple sclerosis. After a four-hour wait, he was told he had a virus and sent home with paracetamol, but soon suffered a cardiac arrest caused by hydrocephalus, leading to inoperable brain stem damage. His father, Stephen Coppock, 65, said the hospital let his son "waste away" in a rehab centre for nearly a year before admitting failings following an internal report, and has since secured an interim payment while pursuing legal action.