£28m NHS settlement for brain-damaged girl's family

The family of a girl who suffered brain damage at birth have been awarded £28m after an NHS trust admitted negligence.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust acknowledged an error during the girl's delivery, which led to a severe lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain.

The family's lawyers, who brought legal action at the High Court, said the girl, who is now of primary school age, would need lifelong care and constant supervision, and was predicted to lose mobility throughout her life.

Nic Kane, chief nurse at the trust, apologised for the girl's care, which was "not good enough" and said the trust had made "significant changes" since her birth in 2019.

The order, approved by Deputy High Court Judge Christopher Kennedy, said the trust must pay a lump sum of £8m, followed by an annual sum of £225,000 for 10 years, with further annual payments of £335,000 after that.

The girl's mother said her daughter was "thriving" but she was unable to forget "the horror" of what happened.

"Seven years on, I'm still deeply affected by seeing the hospital's name crop up in the press regarding tragedies for other families and their babies," she said.

Kane, from the trust, said: "Since this birth in 2019, we've learned lessons, made significant changes, and our maternity department has been rated good by the Care Quality Commission."

She said improvements included more obstetric and midwifery staff, robust training on CTG monitoring, and the joining of a national programme which focuses on reducing the risk of avoidable harm in childbirth.

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