Hospital to pay disabled girl £12m for birth mistakes

A HOSPITAL trust has been ordered to pay £12million compensation after it failed to spot danger signs that left a baby severely disabled.

The girl’s delivery at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, in 2010 was delayed and she was starved of oxygen, which led to her severe disabilities.

Her family’s lawyers sued Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust which admitted liability and apologised for the unacceptable standard of care. At the High Court in London, Mr Justice Martin Spencer said the eight-year-old girl’s payout was expected to be worth about £12million over her lifetime.

She will receive £3.7million upfront and get tax-free annual payments to cover the costs of her care for life.

The payments for the girl will start at £280,000 a year, before rising to £297,500 a year in 2028 and to £330,000 a year in 2029. NHS counsel Michael Horne QC said that liability for the child’s injuries was admitted at an early stage and the Trust’s chief executive had apologised.

Mr Horne added: ‘The Trust apologises unreservedly that the care provided fell below an acceptable standard and caused this tragedy.’

He paid tribute to the girl’s parents and wider family for the ‘dedicated and unstinting care’ they had given her. Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Spencer described the girl’s disabilities as ‘profound’.

Her vision is severely impaired, she suffers from epilepsy, has to be fed through a tube and has no independent mobility.

Mr Justice Spencer added: ‘The devotion and care lavished upon her by her parents has been absolutely awe-inspiring.

‘It has enabled her to fulfil her life within the limits of her disabilities.’