Nottingham University Hospitals has paid £10,000 to the family of four-month-old Ellie Behan, who died from a rare bowel condition less than two weeks after being discharged from Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC).

The Nottingham Evening Post reports that Ellie had shown signs of being seriously ill when she vomited green liquid in front of nurses, but the information was not passed on to doctors and the family were told they could take her home later that day.

She then became critically ill and died nine days later.

Ellie had initially been admitted for vomiting green liquid, but she vomited clear liquid in front of the doctor who first saw her, which indicated that her ailment was not as serious. Her case was then passed on to another doctor.

"We are deeply sorry that there were shortcomings in the care she received," commented trust spokesman Stephen Fowlie.

"Ellie should not have been discharged when she first came to the QMC."

The news comes as the Southport Visitor revealed that medical payouts by Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust increased by 60 per cent over the last 12 months.