Teenage boy hurt at birth by hospital errors awarded £12m payout

A teenager who suffered preventable brain damage at birth has been awarded a payout of almost £12 million.

The boy, 17, who cannot be named, was left with cerebral palsy after medical staff at Homerton hospital in Hackney failed to spot dangerously low blood-sugar levels.

He was born in September 2002 by emergency caesarean, amid concerns about an abnormal heart rate and reduced movement. His low birth weight left him at risk of hypoglycaemia and hypothermia, and required close monitoring and regular feeds.

However a catalogue of errors —including failure to spot that he had become lethargic and to consult a paediatrician about feeding difficulties — meant plummeting blood sugar levels were not addressed.

The hospital accepted that brain damage would have been prevented if he had been fed and given glucose sooner.

The High Court on Monday agreed the settlement to allow him to live “as independently as possible”, including a £3 million lump sum. The payout will fund 24-hour care for the rest of his life, plus therapies, accommodation and equipment. He has impaired vision, difficulty walking, communicating and interacting, and has been diagnosed with epilepsy.

Judge Cotter QC, approving the settlement, paid tribute to the boy’s parents for their devotion.

The case had taken years to resolve due to the difficulty of assessing the boy’s needs. NHS Resolution handled the claim on behalf of the Homerton, which admitted liability in 2015.

The family’s lawyer, David Thomas, from Simpson Millar, said: “No amount of money will ever compensate the family for what they have endured over the years as a result of an injury that could and should have been avoided, but it will provide some financial stability which will fund his immediate, and longer term care needs.

“Whilst [he] will never be in a position to live independently, the care package he has been awarded by the High Court does mean he can live with a degree of independence in a specially adapted home with a dedicated carer, and with access to specialist equipment.”

NHS Resolution said: “We are pleased that we were able...to settle this case as soon as practicable.” Homerton hospital added that it hoped the settlement “will provide the claimant and his family security for the future”.