£11m payout for boy left with cerebral palsy after hospital ‘blunders’

A boy who suffered irreversible brain damage soon after birth due to alleged blunders by midwives has received £11 million compensation to pay for life-long care.

The boy, now 12, was born healthy and weighing 7lb at Queen’s hospital in Romford in 2006.

But his parents were left on their own with him for 11 hours because the newly opened unit was “busy and understaffed”, and his low blood-sugar level was not spotted.

Hypoglycaemia is a common problem in newborns and can be treated by ensuring the baby is fed but can cause neurodevelopmental problems if left untreated.

As new parents, they did not know how often their baby should feed and were not advised by the midwives. 

Routine checks were not carried out and his parents say their concerns were ignored.

During the second night in hospital his mother repeatedly asked for help as her son would not settle. He became lethargic and difficult to wake.

The following morning a midwife called for a doctor and severe hypoglycaemia was diagnosed. The family’s lawyers argued that this caused cerebral palsy due to midwives failing to intervene.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS trust, which runs Queen’s, refused to admit liability but in 2017 agreed to pay 75 per cent of the legal claim. Last month a settlement was approved by the High Court. This includes a £3 million lump sum and annual payments of £200,000 or more.

The boy, whose identity is protected, has motor problems, visual impairment, cannot communicate and is fed through a tube.

Lawyer Auriana Griffiths, of Irwin Mitchell, said: “Like in many cases where a person suffers a brain injury as a child, our client has had to wait many years for doctors to fully establish the true extent of his injuries and for settlement to be reached.”

The boy’s parents said: “We’re relieved that our son will now have guaranteed payments to help cover the cost of his care for however long he lives. This gives us great peace of mind.”

Dr Magda Smith, the trust’s chief medical officer, said: “We have reflected carefully on some of the shortcomings identified. We are sorry for these and for any injuries which may have occurred as a result.”