11-year-old Norfolk girl receives £8 million from hospital trust following delays in childbirth

Posted: 24/10/2013

A girl from Norfolk has been awarded more than £8 million in damages after she was starved of oxygen at birth. Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust agreed the award to Amber Atkins, 11, after it admitted failures in care, which included failing to act on signs of distress. Amber has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy meaning it affects all her limbs. The court was told that, had she been delivered just 10 minutes earlier, she would have escaped injury.

The multi-million pound settlement is made up of a £2.8 million lump sum, plus annual, index-linked and tax free payments to cover the costs of her care for the rest of her life. The lump sum will enable Amber’s family to meet her accommodation, equipment and therapy needs.

Amber’s award was approved in the High Court by Mrs Justice Swift, who said: "I do not underestimate for one minute the hard work and determination of her parents in caring for her. While they can in no way compensate Amber for all she has lost, I hope that the damages will provide her and her family with the best possible quality of life in the future."

Sarah Vaughan-Jones QC, for the trust, said: "This is a sad case in which liability was admitted at an early stage and an apology given which I repeat in open court today."

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