Six-year-old boy injured by brain receives £ 37 million compensation from NHS

A six-year-old boy who suffered a "catastrophic" brain injury after being born at the hospital received £ 37 million compensation from the NHS.

The child contracted the herpes simplex virus at Watford General Hospital, which resulted in brain fever.

His lawyer, Henry Witcomb QC, told the London High Court that the virus "had not been detected and that it had been treated" early enough.

The NHS Trust of West Hertfordshire Hospitals had already apologized and agreed to settle his case.

The boy's lawyer said the payment was the "highest distinction ever obtained" in a case of clinical negligence against the NHS.

The court heard that it had taken him two days to give him an antiviral.

This resulted in "catastrophic brain damage" that caused vision and communication problems, cognitive and movement difficulties, as well as behavioral problems.

"The consequences of negligence have been tragic for the boy and his family," Justice Lambert said.

She told the court that the Trust had acknowledged responsibility for what had happened to the boy at an early stage and agreed to settle his case.

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The boy will receive a lump sum, as well as annual, indexed and tax-free payments, to cover the 24-hour care costs he will need for life.

Mr Witcomb stated that the settlement value, calculated over the life of the boy, amounted to more than £ 37 million.

The chief executive of the trust apologized to the boy's family in a letter sent in May 2017.

The trust's attorney, John Whitting QC, said, "The care he received was not of an appropriate standard and for that we are deeply sorry."

He added that lessons had been learned and that steps had been taken to ensure that "nothing like this will ever happen again".

After the hearing, the boy's attorney, Paul McNeil, said: "While we recognize that it is the highest award ever awarded against the NHS, we hope that such accidents will never happen again in the future. "