BHRUT Pays £28M for Brain-Damaged Baby at Queen’s – Romford 2019

Key Points

• Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) paid £28 million in compensation to the family of a six-year-old girl left brain-damaged at birth
• The girl suffered severe hypoxia-ischaemia (loss of oxygen and blood-flow to the brain) during delivery at Queen’s Hospital in Romford in July 2019
• BHRUT acknowledged staff failed to monitor the baby’s heart rate during labour and did not consult an obstetrician, errors that could have prevented the disability
• The child requires lifelong care, constant supervision, suffers from epilepsy, seizures, declining mobility, and cognitive impairments with no danger awareness
• High Court Deputy Judge Christopher Kennedy ordered £8 million lump sum, £225,000 annually for 10 years, then £335,000 annually thereafter
• Nic Kane, chief nurse at BHRUT, said the trust is “extremely sorry” and has made significant changes since 2019, with maternity department rated “good” by Care Quality Commission
• The mother stated her daughter is “thriving and doing well” but was “robbed of the precious experience of most mothers giving birth by the horror of what happened”
• BHRUT hired more obstetric and midwifery staff, implemented robust CTG monitoring training, and joined a national programme by Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• Jane Weakley and Gemma Wells from Fieldfisher law firm represented the family, recovering £28 million in the negligence claim
• Health Secretary James Murray stated NHS maternity service reforms must not sit “on shelves” and must be “comprehensive”

Romford (East London Times) June 10, 2026 – The girl, who is now six years old and cannot be legally identified, suffered a critical loss of oxygen and blood-flow to her brain as she was born at Queen’s Hospital in Romford in July 2019, which left her severely disabled. As reported by Sebastian Mann, local democracy reporter for the Waltham Forest Echo, the child experienced severe hypoxia-ischaemia, a condition meaning her brain was deprived of oxygen and blood flow, causing a brain injury.

This medical catastrophe has left the child severely disabled with multiple lifelong impairments. She will need lifelong care as well as constant supervision, and suffers from epilepsy, seizures, declining mobility and other cognitive impairments.

According to lawyers representing the family, the girl has no danger awareness and is over-friendly with strangers, requiring constant supervision throughout her life.

What Errors Did BHRUT Staff Make During The Labour And Delivery?

Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust (BHRUT) – which oversees Queen’s Hospital – acknowledged that staff failed to monitor her heart rate while her mother was in labour or ask an obstetrician – medical doctors who specialise in pregnancy – to review the case, the Guardian reported last week. As reported by Sebastian Mann of the Waltham Forest Echo, these moves could have prevented the girl becoming disabled.

The trust made a full admission of liability, accepting that negligent care led to a delay in the child’s delivery. Lawyers for the family said the trust failed to keep track of the infant’s heart rate during her mother’s labor and did not consult an obstetrician, either of which could have resulted in the girl being born healthy.

What Did BHRUT Chief Nurse Nic Kane Say About The Apology And Lessons Learned?

Nic Kane, the chief nurse at BHRUT, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We’re extremely sorry the care this child and their family experienced was not good enough,” as reported by Sebastian Mann. Kane went on to add:

“We’d like to reassure them, and all our expectant mothers, that since this birth in 2019, we’ve learned lessons, made significant changes and our maternity department has been rated good by the [Care Quality Commission, which assesses the quality of healthcare]”.

As reported by ITV News London, Kane detailed the improvements BHRUT had made in the past seven years included hiring more obstetric and midwifery staff to ensure women were reviewed and concerns escalated quicker, alongside more robust training on monitoring the baby’s heart rate and mother’s contractions.

“We are part of a national programme, run by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which focuses on reducing the risk of avoidable harm in childbirth,”

the chief nurse added.

What Compensation Amount Did The High Court Order BHRUT To Pay The Family?

The trust was ordered by the High Court to pay the family a lump sum of £8m, followed by an annual sum of £225,000 for ten years, and £335,000 in the years thereafter, as reported by Sebastian Mann. The order, approved by Deputy Judge Christopher Kennedy, says the trust must pay a lump sum of £8 million, followed by an annual sum of £225,000 for 10 years, with further annual payments of £335,000 after that.

As reported by ITV News London, the settlement was achieved outside of court following the family’s lawsuit in the High Court. The substantial amount reflects the high costs associated with her required care and the expectation that she could live up to 83 years.

The final settlement has a total capitalised value of around £28m, comprising a substantial lump sum and index-linked periodical payments for life.

What Did The Mother Say About Her Daughter’s Current Condition And Her Own Experience?

The girl’s mother, who likewise cannot be named for legal reasons, said her daughter was “thriving and doing well” in a report by the Guardian.

“But it’s impossible for me to forget that I was robbed of the precious experience of most mothers giving birth by the horror of what happened to us,”

she added.

As reported by ITV News London, the mother continued:

“Seven years on, I’m still deeply affected by seeing the hospital’s name crop up in the press regarding tragedies for other families and their babies. This is despite the repeated promises of the Government and endless reviews into maternity safety. Surely someone must take the bull by the horns and take action to change things”.

Despite her difficulties, the child is finding joy through music therapy and is particularly fond of the piano and drums, which has boosted her confidence and communication abilities, the lawyers said.

What Did Jane Weakley From Fieldfisher Law Firm Say About The Case?

Jane Weakley from Fieldfisher, who represented the family in the negligence claim, said: “Too many times the medical negligence team at Fieldfisher takes on cases where the same terrible mistakes are repeated, bringing untold tragedy,” as reported by ITV News London.

“We fully support the NHS and appeal to the Government to please fulfil their promise to make maternity care safe for mothers and babies,”

Kane went on to say.

As reported by Neuro Rehab Times, Jane Weakley and Gemma Wells have recovered £28m for a girl who suffered a severe brain injury at birth after negligent errors during labour.

What Did Health Secretary James Murray Say About NHS Maternity Service Reforms?

Health Secretary James Murray said on Monday that recommendations for NHS maternity services must not sit “on shelves” and that the reforms must be “comprehensive,” as reported by ITV News London. He told the BBC he has been meeting families whose babies died, which

“brings it home in the strongest possible sense, how human and how devastating this can be, and how important it is that we change”.

Is This The Highest Amount The NHS Has Paid For Maternity Negligence?

The £28 million settlement is not the highest amount the NHS has agreed to pay for a negligence lawsuit related to maternity care, according to the Guardian. The settlement was achieved outside of court following the family’s lawsuit in the High Court.

Background Of This Maternity Negligence Development

This case represents one of significant maternity negligence claims dealt with by the High Court in recent years.

The Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust operates Queen’s Hospital in Romford, East London, along with King George Hospital. The tragedy occurred in July 2019 when the six-year-old girl experienced severe hypoxia-ischaemia during delivery.

The child’s name was changed to “Mia” to protect her anonymity, as reported by Neuro Rehab Times. The settlement involves index-linked periodical payments for life, reflecting the expectation that the child could live up to 83 years.

Fieldfisher, the law firm representing the family, specialises in medical negligence claims and has handled numerous similar cases involving birth injuries.

Deputy High Court Judge Christopher Kennedy KC sanctioned the order, sitting in the King’s Bench Division Clinical Negligibility court.

The Care Quality Commission, which assessed BHRUT’s maternity department as “good” after the improvements, is the independent regulator of health and care services in England.

How Will This £28 Million Payout And BHRUT Admission Of Negligence affect Families Using East London Maternity Services?

This development will affect expectant mothers and families using maternity services at Queen’s Hospital Romford and other BHRUT facilities in several significant ways.

The trust has explicitly stated it wants to “reassure them, and all our expectant mothers” that significant changes have been made since 2019, with the maternity department now rated “good” by the Care Quality Commission.

The improvements BHRUT implemented include hiring more obstetric and midwifery staff in triage to ensure women are reviewed and concerns escalated quicker. Families will benefit from more robust training on CTG monitoring – used to monitor the baby’s heart rate and mother’s contractions – which directly addresses the failures that occurred in 2019.

The trust’s participation in a national programme run by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which focuses on reducing the risk of avoidable harm in childbirth, means East London families will receive care aligned with national best practices.

Health Secretary James Murray’s emphasis that reforms must be “comprehensive” and not sit “on shelves” suggests ongoing scrutiny of maternity services that could benefit families across the region.

However, the mother’s statement about still being “deeply affected by seeing the hospital’s name crop up in the press regarding tragedies for other families” indicates that reputational damage may continue affecting families’ confidence in the hospital.

The £28 million payout, while providing crucial support for the affected family, also signals to other families that similar negligence could occur, potentially prompting more cautious decision-making about maternity care choices in East London.

Jane Weakley’s observation that “too many times the medical negligence team at Fieldfisher takes on cases where the same terrible mistakes are repeated” suggests families should remain vigilant about monitoring their care and escalating concerns promptly.

The case reinforces the importance of the improvements BHRUT has made, as families will benefit from quicker concern escalation and more robust monitoring protocols.