The family of a pensioner murdered by an insulin and diamorphine overdose by a nurse has been awarded £47,500 to help support her widower.

Doris Ludlam, 80, of Pudsey, was treated at Leeds General Infirmary for a heart condition and a broken hip following a fall when she was targeted and killed by Colin Norris in June, 2002. The family mounted a claim against the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and today they were awarded the money in a brief hearing at Leeds County Court.

The settlement was given for bereavement, damages, loss of pension, and support for the widower, Walter, now 94, who is in a nursing home.

Norris, 33, was jailed for life in March last year after being convicted of killing four elderly women by giving them massive doses of insulin while working at Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital.

He was convicted at Newcastle Crown Court of four counts of murder and one of attempted murder following a lengthy trial and told he will serve at least 30 years behind bars.

After the hearing, the family’s solicitor, Linda Smith, said she was critical of the flaws in Leeds General Infirmary’s processes that enabled Norris to get hold of the insulin he used to kill his victims and said the civil claim was based around these issues, which are also the subject of a major inquiry by Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority.

She said: “Patient safety should be the number one concern of the NHS and we hope that Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust learns lessons from the four deaths of elderly ladies whose families feel very let down by the doctors and nurses who failed to protect and look after their loved ones.

“The hospital’s system for drug control failed and allowed a rogue nurse to commit a terrible crime.

“Norris should not have been able to get hold of the insulin that he used to commit his crimes in the first place. There were clearly shortcomings in the hospital’s checks and systems – yet it took four murders and an attempted murder for these flaws to be revealed.”

Elizabeth Hodgson, one of Doris Ludlam’s daughters. said: “We trusted the hospital to look after and care for our mum, knowing she was frail. It is shocking to think we are not safe in hospital – you trust doctors and nurses and it is terrifying to think about what happened to our mum in our local hospital. We were robbed of our mother and no amount of money can replace her. We are relieved that the case is now settled so we can continue to try and rebuild our lives and move on from this horrific chapter.”

Norris lost an appeal against convictions on December 21.