A sum of £5.6m in compensation has been awarded to the family of a girl left badly brain damaged due to an injury caused at birth.
A High Court judge expressed admiration to both the girl’s parents, Chris and Carolyn, saying: “No one can read the papers in this case without being struck by the care that has been provided to Alice by her parents.”
The judge, who said she was “simply humbled” over what both parents have done for their daughter, approved the financial settlement in London.
Spokesman Neil Block, for NHS Trust, publicly apologised to the family saying it was a “matter of regret” that Alice “did not receive the standard of care that she and her family were entitled to.”
He continued by saying: “Money will never replace what Alice and her family have lost, but we do hope that now one huge worry will have been removed from their shoulders in the future.”
Alice, now aged 13, suffers from spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, has severe physical problems and requires 24-hour care.
She cannot do anything for herself and also has severe learning difficulties and delayed mental development.
After the hearing, her father said: “After a tough nine-year battle, this award will ensure Alice is looked after for the rest of her life and we are reassured about her future care when we are no longer around.
“Although it sounds like a large sum of money, it is needed to fund Alice’s round-the-clock care and ensure she gets as much out of life as her disabilities allow.
“Despite the many challenges we face in caring for her, Alice is a happy, sociable little girl who gives us so much pleasure.
“It is so sad she will never have a normal life and do all the things we take for granted.
“The NHS continues to pay out considerable sums in these cases. Isn’t it time lessons were learnt so other people would not have to go through this devastating heartache?”
Helen Niebuhr, a medical negligence solicitor for the couple, said: “Alice is a beautiful and charming girl who is very aware of her surroundings and close to her devoted parents and older sister.
“However, her life has been restricted to complete dependency on others by the brain damage she has suffered.
“The amount of money she has received seems a huge amount but it is required to pay for the care and equipment Alice will need for the rest of her life.
“Her family would prefer that she had never needed to make this claim and was a normal 13-year-old girl looking forward to her future as she should have been.
“The award will provide security for her for the rest of her life.”
