Ipswich Hospital: Boy disabled at birth awarded £5m payout Published duration 4 June 2019

image caption The boy suffered "significant" brain damage during his birth at Ipswich Hospital in 2003

A 15-year-old boy starved of oxygen at birth has been awarded £5m in compensation by the NHS.

The teenager was left disabled by his delivery at Ipswich Hospital in 2003, but his parents believed no-one was to blame, London's High Court heard.

They went to solicitors after he had an accident in 2016 and lawyers realised the boy had suffered birth injuries.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust admitted liability and agreed to pay the sum.

The teenager has also been awarded index-linked and tax-free payments, starting at £135,000 a year, for his lifelong care.

Susan Rodway QC told the High Court that the victim - who cannot be named - was "significantly brain-damaged", epileptic and had severe learning difficulties.

Judge Sir Robert Francis QC heard the boy needed 24-hour support and his parents had "cared for him devotedly in very challenging circumstances".

Aware of his disabilities, he was prone to anxiety and flashes of temper, said Miss Rodway.

"One of his greatest pleasures in life is supporting Liverpool, so he is very happy at the moment," she said.

"He is absolutely charming when you first meet him and that demonstrates the nurturing that he has received."

'Difficult burden'

NHS counsel Suzanne Lambert said the trust had already apologised to the family for the negligence that led to the boy's brain damage.

She said it was a "sincere pleasure" to the trust that an amicable settlement had been reached.

Sir Robert said the victim was "a young man of considerable charm".

He praised his parents for bearing the "very difficult burden" of caring for a disabled child for many years and without complaint.