A mother has been awarded a multi-million pound settlement because her son was left severely disabled after he was starved of oxygen at birth.

 

Bailey Brown, 6, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and has to use a wheelchair. Although he is able to feed himself, he needs assistance with most day-to-day activities and consequently requires special equipment and a high level of care.

 

Bailey's mother, Amy Millar, was just 15 years old when he was born. In addition, her baby was large and lying in a difficult position in the womb. Even so, she was initially sent to a small rural maternity unit. It was only later that she was transferred to a larger hospital with facilities better able to cope with more complicated births. It was argued that this delay of six hours was central to Bailey's injury.

 

The Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust denied any liability for the injury. In its view, Ms Millar had been given the right advice at the time. It also claimed that she was transferred to the larger hospital in a timely manner. However, it agreed to a £2 million settlement which will cover the cost of the care and equipment that Bailey requires now and in the future.