A 14-year-old boy has been awarded a compensation payout after being left paralysed by untreated tubercular meningitis.

Jason Goby fell ill with severe headaches in January 2000 and was taken to hospital. However, his condition was not diagnosed until a month later.

The child was left permanently disabled and his father launched legal action against his GP, Dr Barrie Ferguson, claiming negligence, His legal team argued that had Jason been treated straight away, he would most likely have made a full recovery.

Although Dr Ferguson denied liability, a judge at the high court this week ruled that she was negligent on this occasion and ordered her to pay Jason compensation.

The exact sum has not yet been decided, but it is expected to be a substantial payout given the severity of his injuries.

Tubercular meningitis is an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord that is caused by the same bacteria as tuberculosis.