A teenager who was left wheelchair-bound, blind and unable to speak after a medical crisis at the Royal Brompton Hospital has won nearly £9m from the NHS.
The boy, now 14, was just 13-months-old when he went into the hospital in 2002 for surgery to correct a cardiac defect.
He suffered a respiratory arrest after the operation and was not resuscitated in time to save him from acute cerebral palsy.
Martin Forde QC, for the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, said a settlement of the boy’s case had been agreed without admission of liability.
The boy’s total compensation package - valued at £8.7m - included a lump sum of £3.34m. He will also receive annual, index-linked and tax-free payments to cover the costs of his care for life.
Those will start at £187,000 and rise to £217,000 when he turns 16. From 19 onwards, he will receive £266,500.
From the age of 23, the teenager will also get £30,000-a-year to reflect his loss of earnings, London’s High Court heard.
His parents will receive £239,386 as some compensation for the care with which they had provided him to date.
Michael Mylonas QC, representing the boy in court, said it was a “good settlement”.
Judge Martin McKenna agreed, saying it "represents a very good outcome" for the teenager. He approved the compromise and praised the "devotion" of the boy’s parents.
Mr Forde also highlighted the “extreme level of devotion the parents have shown to their son”.
He said the hospital trust “sincerely regret the outcome” and “it is hoped that the resolution of this case will allow the family to move forward”.
