Boy wins multimillion-pound payout after birth mistakes

An eight-year-old has received a multimillion-pound payout from a hospital trust after he was left disabled by blunders during his birth.

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was left with cerebral palsy after mistakes at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in September 2002.

Mr Justice David Steel at the High Court said the undisclosed settlement was in the boy's best interests.

His parents said nothing would change the "devastating" impact on the family.

Financial worry

The family began a claim for damages against the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust to fund the round-the-clock care the boy needs for life.

NHS barrister Neil Block QC said it was a matter of "profound regret" for the trust and those involved in his care that they failed him.

"We acknowledge that money will never replace what he has lost, but we hope that, after today, they can look forward knowing that the financial worry about satisfying his needs in future has now been met."

In a statement, the boy's parents said: "Although this now means that our child has resources that can help him in life, in no way does this settlement compensate his pain, our pain, and the effect of this upon our child and our family in everyday life.

"Our only wish is that this doesn't happen to any other family and that the NHS learn from the mistakes that have been made."

The exact figure of the compensation award has not been released.