The family of a girl left with severe brain damage at birth has accepted a £28 million damages settlement after the NHS trust involved admitted liability for catastrophic errors during her delivery. The payout, approved by the High Court, reflects the lifelong care needs of the child, who now requires constant supervision and medical support.
Failures during labour
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust failed to monitor the baby's heart rate while her mother was in labour at Queen's Hospital in Romford, east London, in July 2019. Additionally, no obstetrician was called to review the case, despite clear signs of distress. These omissions led to severe hypoxia-ischaemia, a lack of oxygen to the brain, which left the girl profoundly disabled.
The child, now six, suffers from epilepsy and unpredictable seizures. She is expected to lose mobility over time and will need lifelong care for cognitive and language impairments. Due to her lack of danger awareness and overly friendly behaviour with strangers, she requires round-the-clock supervision.
Mother's call for reform
The girl's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, demanded urgent action from ministers and NHS leaders to overhaul maternity care. She described being robbed of the normal experience of childbirth and expressed frustration at repeated promises of improvement that have not prevented further tragedies. Two major reviews into maternity safety are due this month: Donna Ockenden's investigation into Nottingham's maternity services and Baroness Valerie Amos's government-commissioned review of childbirth services.
Health Secretary James Murray, who replaced Wes Streeting last month, said transforming maternity care is a priority and promised comprehensive reform. After hearing from parents who lost babies, he described the experiences as horrific and emphasised the need for change.
Pattern of negligence
Blunders in maternity care account for 11% of all medical negligence claims against the NHS in England but represent 53% of the total value of payouts. Guy Forster, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, noted that these cases often involve the most catastrophic, life-changing injuries to babies. The £28 million settlement is not the largest; in 2020, the NHS paid £37 million to settle a case involving a boy starved of oxygen at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London.
Jane Weakley, the family's solicitor from Fieldfisher, said too often the same terrible mistakes are repeated, bringing untold tragedy. Nic Kane, chief nurse at the trust, apologised and said lessons have been learned, with maternity services now rated good by the Care Quality Commission. However, Forster warned that despite countless reviews, avoidable harm is not decreasing, and trusts must comply better with the statutory duty of candour to prevent repeated patterns of harm.
