A woman who was left with permanent nerve damage after having a wisdom tooth removed at a Norfolk hospital has been awarded more than £30,000 in compensation.

Hanna Davies, 31, from Beccles, was left in agony following surgery at James Paget University Hospital (JPUH) in May 2015.

Mrs Davies, who has lost the feeling on the right-hand side of her tongue since the removal, was referred to the hospital in Gorleston by her dentist after suffering from toothache.

The business development manager hoped the issue would be resolved in time for her wedding day in August that year.

But, after waking up following the general anaesthetic, the 31-year-old was left in extreme discomfort and had a swollen face as the nerve was not sufficiently protected during the procedure.

Mrs Davies said: "When I woke up I was in a lot of pain. It was like whoever was pulling at the tooth must have really struggled.

"I knew something wasn't right as my tongue was completely numb, but I just assumed the feeling would come back later so I went home."

She was also left with a tingling sensation on her tongue and attended a review appointment a few days after surgery.

The dentist she saw offered no further treatment and told her the feeling would return in time.

"I had to go on my hen do with a numb tongue - everyone was making jokes about it," she said.

"I was so self-conscious about drooling when I spoke and avoided specific words that I thought would be hard to pronounce.

"I was still in the infancy of getting used to the injury on my wedding day, which is obviously never how I imagined it."

Mrs Davies' regular dentist then referred her to another hospital for a second opinion. She was told she had permanent nerve damage and the feeling on the right-hand side of her tongue would never return.

Following analysis of her dental records it was revealed the nerve was not sufficiently protected during the procedure which led to Mrs Davies suffering permanent nerve damage.

The Dental Law Partnership, a law firm which specialises in dental negligence, took on Mrs Davies' case in 2016 and in July 2019 it was settled when the hospital admitted partial liability. It paid £33,500 in an out of court settlement.

JPUH has been contacted for comment.