A 75-year-old man with a rare sleep disorder that causes him to act out violent dreams is suing the NHS for over £1 million after suffering a severe spinal injury. John Nicholson dived headfirst out of bed during a nightmare four years ago, fracturing his neck and causing incomplete paraplegia that has left him wheelchair-dependent. Both the ambulance service and hospital have made partial admissions of liability, acknowledging that inappropriate movement and delays in treatment can worsen spinal cord injuries.

Mr Nicholson's injury occurred when he physically enacted a dream due to his rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disorder. The ambulance took nearly three hours to arrive at his home near Yelverton, Devon, and he spent a total of 12 hours in the ambulance before hospital admission, including a six-and-a-half-hour wait for a CT scan after reaching the hospital. The CT scan revealed a fracture dislocation of his neck with spinal cord injury, but his condition deteriorated further the following day when he lost control of his arms and legs. He is now suing South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust for negligence.