Medical negligence claim news
24/06/2009

Baby brain injury costs NHS £7m in compensation

A 12-year-old boy who suffered brain damage when he was being born has won a medical negligence compensation claim against the UK's National Health Service for £7m.

The money will be used to cover the cost of 24-hour care that is now required to look after the young cerebral palsy sufferer.

Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust was found to be at fault in the personal injury claim case after a doctor delayed the baby boy's birth by four minutes.

The delay proved critical and the judge in the case said the doctor had made a "wrong judgement".

Twelve years on, the boy suffers serious coordination and balance problems. His main means of communication is via sign language.

His mother was relieved the long and stressful case was now over. She said she believed the NHS had constantly tried to fob off her family with weak excuses about the mistake which led to the personal injury claim.