North Devon hospital pays £20m for birth blunder
- Published
The hospital trust apologised "unreservedly" to the girl and her family
A "lively and delightful" schoolgirl left severely disabled with cerebral palsy after mistakes during her birth has been awarded £20m damages.
The girl's brain was starved of oxygen during her delivery at North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, a court heard.
It means the girl, who is under the age of 10 and cannot be named, is disabled in all four limbs.
Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust apologised "unreservedly".
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Her barrister, Christopher Gibson QC, told the High Court in London: "She has many problems which will be life-long."
The settlement includes a multi-million pound lump sum, plus annual, index-linked and tax-free payments to cover the costs of her care for life.
Mr Gibson paid tribute to the girl's parents and family for "their extraordinary care and devotion over the years".
Approving the settlement, Judge Patrick Moloney said: "She will have the security of having this enormous income in the future and that must be a great comfort to her family."