A recent article posted by BBC news highlights the difficulties some parents go through following injuries sustained by their child at birth.

In this instance the family involved didn’t really realise that there was an error during birth and that there was a support and compensation structure in place to assist their child’s needs long into the future.

London’s High Court heard how a now 15 year old boy was starved of oxygen at birth causing long term brain damage. East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for the Hospital involved, admitted liability and will now have to pay a significant sum to compensate him for their negligence.

Claims involving injuries to babies at about the time of their birth amount to about 10% of all claims, but account for 48% of the value (amount of money paid) of the compensation paid (https://resolution.nhs.uk/services/claims-management/clinical-schemes/clinical-negligence-scheme-for-trusts/maternity-incentive-scheme/ ). There would be a huge saving to the NHS if they focussed on identifying how, where, when and why errors occurred in maternity cases, and sought to correct those errors.

This would avoid injuring babies, causing life long problems, and save the NHS a considerable sum of money, which could be used to improve overall clinical services.

Until then however, clinical negligence claims against such Trust will continue, and are designed to ensure that people who live with the injuries sustained via negligent errors are compensated, ensuring that they receive the daily care and support they will need for the rest of their lives. If you think you have been effected by something similar, please do contact us for a free consultation and discussion regarding your situation. We can then discuss what options are available to you, and work with you to navigate the legal procedures for you to ensure that the right care is provided.

It’s not about apportioning blame, but ensuring that lives affected by mistakes are made easier.

Dr Darren Conway PhD is a Solicitor in our Medical Negligence Departmenthere at Sternberg Reed, specialising in helping those who have suffered an avoidable injury in a medical setting. If you want to find out more and see how Darren and Sternberg Reed could help you, click HERE

Or call us on 0208 591 3366

For more information regarding NHS complaints process, please click here.

To read the full BBC article, follow this link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-48515865

This article does not constitute legal advice and you should contact us directly if you are facing a similar situation.