Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Offers 50 Per Cent Package

The family of a young boy who suffers from learning difficulties because of complications prior to his birth have secured a substantial NHS payout.

Joshua Hurd is unable to stand or walk and his mother Georgina was keen to receive enough compensation from Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester in order to cover the huge cost of long-term care, the Bournemouth Echo reports.

It was alleged that staff at the hospital had made mistakes that led to the caesarian birth being delayed in 2002.

Although the Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust admitted the birth could have been completed four hours earlier, it denied this had an impact on the baby's condition.

Despite this, the organisation has agreed to cover 50 per cent of the claim, which could still run into millions of pounds.

Representing the family, David Westcott QC told the news provider this was a "sensible" outcome.

"The Trust admitted that Joshua should have been delivered some four hours before he was, but denied liability on causation grounds," he was quoted as saying.

Georgina accepted the offer as she was concerned about the immense financial burden if the case did not go in her favour. The exact sum of the payout is yet to be decided.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust added: "We would like to reassure everyone that has their babies with us here at Dorset County Hospital that most births are straightforward and a happy event for families."

Earlier this week (October 7th), the High Court ruled that University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust should pay nearly £4 million in compensation to the family of a child who suffers from cerebral palsy.

Maryellen McDowall of Coventry will use the money - £1.7 million of which will be paid up front - to care for her daughter Hollie, who was starved of oxygen when she was born in 2005.

The hospital apologised for the errors that were made in this case and has pledged to improve its procedures.

Expert Opinion

The case of Joshua Hurd is yet another which highlights the devastating effect that birth injuries can have, with this youngster needing a long-term package of care, rehabilitation and support in order to get the best from life. <br/> <br/>“We hope that lessons can be learned from cases like this, as well as similar ones we have acted in such as those of Ruby Curtis and Logan Sims, so that every effort is made to prevent the same problems from affecting other families in the future. <br/> <br/>“Cases like this are about more than money – they are about gaining answers over what went wrong and ensuring steps are taken so that such issues do not arise again in the future.” Lisa Jordan - Partner