NHS’s ‘record’ £20m payout

A GIRL of 18 has been awarded almost £20million in what is thought to be a record payout by the NHS.

She suffered catastrophic brain injuries in February 2000 after being starved of oxygen as a baby when doctors failed to ventilate her properly at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

The girl, who cannot be named, developed complications at five months after an operation to correct a malformed oesophagus. She was awarded £2.1million compensation as a lump sum, with annual payments of £203,000 for the rest of her life. The total settlement is valued at £19,774,265. It was awarded against Cardiff and Vale University Health Board at the High Court in Cardiff.