The wife of a disabled father-of-five is involved in a legal battle with the Royal Free Hospital to take her husband off its books after nurses gave him a life-threatening overdose.

Chammelle Courtney has demanded that her husband Mark is transferred to nearby University College Hospital (UCH) after the blunder.

Hospital staff gave the former lorry driver 10 times the recommended dose of pain relief drugs on January 11 this year after he was taken to hospital with breathing problems.

Mr Courtney suffered severe brain damage in 2007 after an asthma attack.

His wife, who is legally appointed to manage his affairs, has demanded the hospital in Pond Street, Hampstead, let Mr Courtney move to UCH but the Royal Free has challenged her decision.

Mrs Courtney, 38, said: “My main concern is to keep my husband alive and I am really worried that if he stays under the control of this hospital then he will die. It’s as plain and simple as that.”

The hospital would not comment on the issue of transferring Mr Courtney as the legal case is being considered.

But a spokeswoman did confirm hospital bosses were in the middle of reviewing policies following the overdose blunder.

She said: “The nurses involved have been through a performance and conduct process.

“The medication safety committee is reviewing the policy for prescribing and managing controlled liquid medication based on the recommendations from the full and detailed serious untoward incident investigation carried out by the trust.”