Family accepts £28m NHS payout for birth injury
13 reported
The family of a six-year-old girl left brain-damaged at birth have agreed to accept £28 million in damages from an NHS trust after it admitted mistakes led to her injuries. The girl suffered severe hypoxia-ischaemia, or loss of oxygen to her brain, while being born at Queen’s Hospital in Romford in July 2019. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust failed to monitor the baby’s heart rate during labour or ask an obstetrician to review the case, either of which might have led to a healthy birth. The girl now has epilepsy, unpredictable seizures, and is expected to lose mobility throughout her life, requiring lifelong care and constant supervision. The settlement was reached out of court after the family brought a lawsuit to the high court, and its size reflects the high costs of care and an expectation she could live to 83. The mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, called for urgent action to overhaul maternity care, citing repeated scandals and reviews. The trust’s chief nurse apologised and said maternity care has improved since 2019, with the department now rated good by the Care Quality Commission.
What’s reported
The girl was born at Queen’s Hospital in Romford in July 2019.
The NHS trust admitted failing to monitor the baby’s heart rate or consult an obstetrician during labour.
The girl suffered severe hypoxia-ischaemia (loss of oxygen to the brain) at birth.
She has epilepsy, unpredictable seizures, and is expected to lose mobility; she needs lifelong care and constant supervision.
The £28 million settlement was reached out of court in the high court.
The settlement reflects high care costs and an expectation she could live to 83.
The mother and daughter cannot be identified for legal reasons.
The mother demanded urgent action from ministers and NHS bosses to overhaul maternity care.
Two reviews are due to be published this month: Donna Ockenden’s review of Nottingham maternity services and Valerie Amos’s government-commissioned review of childbirth services.
Health Secretary James Murray said transforming maternity care is a priority and services will undergo “comprehensive reform.”
Blunders in maternity care make up 11% of all medical negligence claims against the NHS but 53% of their value.
The £28 million sum is not the largest; a 2020 case involving a boy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS trust cost £37 million.
Nic Kane, chief nurse at the trust, apologised and said maternity care has improved and is now rated good by the Care Quality Commission.
Key figures
The girl (six years old, not named for legal reasons)
The girl’s mother (not named for legal reasons)
Nic Kane, chief nurse at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
James Murray, health secretary
Guy Forster, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers
Jane Weakley, lawyer from Fieldfisher representing the family
Donna Ockenden, midwife leading a review of Nottingham maternity services
Valerie Amos, Labour peer leading a government-commissioned review of childbirth services
Sources: The Guardian
