Teen wins £8.9m medical payout

ATEENAGER will be paid millions in compensation after mistakes were made at the hospital where he was born.

The boy, who has cerebral palsy, will now be paid a lump sum of £8.95m for the failings in his care at Haverfordwest’s Withybush Hospital when he was born.

Hywell Dda University Local Health Board issued a public apology for the failings and also agreed to pay substantial annual sums to cover the costs of the constant care he will always need.

Judge Mr Justice Stewart told London’s High Court there was a negligent delay in delivering the boy by Caesarean section in 2006.

His mother suffered a ruptured uterus and her baby’s brain was damaged by oxygen starvation, resulting in cerebral palsy.

He has learning difficulties and mild epilepsy and needs to live in a one-storey, wheelchair-accessible, home, the court heard.

“He vocalises a lot, and some of this has meaning, but he will always be dependent on others for his most basic needs,” the judge added.

The health board admitted liability in full for the teenager’s injuries and a final settlement of his medical negligence claim was yesterday approved by the judge.

Together with the lump sum, he will receive annual payments of £174,000, rising to £270,000 in 2024. Those payments will continue for the rest of his life.

Experts predict that he will live to the age of 70, although all involved in the case hoped that was an underestimate.

NHS counsel Michael Horne QC said: “The health board apologises unreservedly for the fact that the care fell below the expected standards. It is deeply sorry, lessons have been learned and the health board has written directly to the family.”

Praising the “outstanding level of care” given to the boy by his parents, the barrister said: “They have done all they can to help him achieve his potential and we pay tribute to them for that.”

Approving the settlement, the judge said: “I am satisfied that a proper and professional assessment has been made.”