May 11th, 2009
A child who was left with cerebral palsy after hospital staff failed to deliver her quickly enough has been awarded millions of pounds in compensation.
Elise Frith, now six, was born at Milton Keynes Hospital, but although her mother Yelena had been suffering from abdominal pains, an emergency Caesarean was not performed until more than two hours after a problem was detected.
The child was deprived of oxygen and now has mobility and communication problems as a result of her cerebral palsy, Milton Keynes Today reports.
Milton Keynes Hospital admitted that its staff had been negligent in not taking Ms Frith in for surgery sooner and this week approved a compensation payout that, although confidential, is believed to amount to millions of pounds.
According to the charity Scope, one in every 400 children in the UK is born with cerebral palsy.
This is most commonly the result of failure of a part of the brain to develop and can be caused by a lack of oxygen in the womb, as was the case here.
Tags: Abdominal Pains, Cerebral Palsy, Charity, Communication Problems, Failure, Frith, Hospital Staff, Lack Of Oxygen, Milton Hospital, Milton Keynes, Part Of The Brain, Scope, Womb, Yelena
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September 11th, 2008
A family is to be paid compensation by an NHS trust after their child was starved of oxygen at birth.
Holly Nixon, now five, was left quadriplegic after what has been described as "a series of blunders" by hospital staff in Worcestershire.
Although her mother Emma had complained of a lack of foetal movement, this was not investigated until two days later, the Birmingham Post reports.
Holly now suffers from cerebral palsy as a result of a lack of oxygen to her brain during her birth and will need care 24 hours a day for the rest of her life.
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has admitted liability and the final compensation to be paid to the Nixon family will be decided next year, although it is expected to be a seven-figure sum.
If sub-standard care during pregnancy or birth can be proved to have caused cerebral palsy, damages can be sought to cover the costs of care to ensure an improved quality of life and financial security for the lifetime of the child.
Tags: Acute Hospitals Nhs Trust, Birmingham Post, Birth Injuries, Blunders, Brain, Cerebral Palsy, Damages, Emma, Figure Sum, Financial Security, Holly, Hospital Staff, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Lack Of Oxygen, Lifetime, Nixon Family, Pregnancy Birth, Quality Of Life, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Nhs Trust
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August 20th, 2008
A couple are taking legal action against a hospital they accuse of medical negligence over the birth of their child.
Nadia and Steven Jones are seeking compensation from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which provides services to a population of around 550,000.
Ms Jones’ waters broke while she was at home in September 2004 and she went into hospital to be examined.
According to the couple, routine checks that would have revealed the baby was in distress were not conducted and she was sent home.
Despite reporting concerns, it was only on her fourth visit to hospital that midwives detected problems and called for an emergency caesarean section.
Ms Jones and her husband were then told that their son was stillborn, only to be informed two hours later that he was in fact still alive. He died, however, a few hours later from a lack of oxygen and septicaemia.
A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust stated: "We cannot comment on this matter at this stage as it is the subject of legal proceedings."
Tags: Acute Hospitals Nhs Trust, Caesarean Section, Childbirth, Hospitals Nhs Trust, Lack Of Oxygen, Legal Proceedings, Medical Negligence, Ms Jones, Nadia, Population, Routine Checks, Spokesman, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Nhs Trust
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