An Essex woman has received £170,000 in compensation from the NHS after developing an addiction to the video game Candy Crush due to medication prescribed for restless leg syndrome.

The payout comes after her GP prescribed dopamine agonist drugs, which are known to cause impulse control disorders in up to 17 per cent of patients.

The unnamed woman became obsessively addicted to the puzzle game and later developed a compulsion for virtual slot machine games.

The woman was initially prescribed ropinirole before being switched to another dopamine agonist called pramipexole, which was prescribed at double the recommended dosage.

A woman receieved the huge payout from the NHS after developing an addiction to the video game Candy Crush

Within weeks of starting the medication, she began playing Candy Crush obsessively.

While the game is free to play, users can make purchases to advance through levels more quickly or make them easier to complete.

The woman first sought medical help in 2008 when she visited her GP complaining of sleep problems caused by twitching legs.

She was diagnosed with restless leg syndrome, a condition that causes an unpleasant 'crawling' sensation in the legs and an almost irresistible urge to move them.

An Essex woman has received £170,000 in compensation from the NHS

The NHS has now admitted that the GP failed to warn the patient about potential side effects of the medication.

The case follows a similar recent payout where the NHS agreed to cover £100,000 in losses for a father of two who developed a gambling addiction from the same type of medication.

Philip Stevens, from Ringwood in Hampshire, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1995 and in 2015 his health deteriorated, forcing him to stop working.

In July 2017, he was then diagnosed with restless leg syndrome by his GP, and was prescribed Ropinirole.

Restless leg syndrome affects up to 10 per cent of the UK population, causing sleep disruption due to leg discomfort

His layer said the GP did not warn him of possible side-effects including an impulse control disorder which can cause uncontrollable gambling or shopping.

A previous casual enjoyment for placing bets soon “spiralled out of control”, with him waking up in the middle of the night to place bets. He also developed an obsession with shopping.

Restless leg syndrome affects up to 10 per cent of the UK population, causing sleep disruption due to leg discomfort.