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Eight year-old set to receive multi-million pound compensation for devastating injuries suffered at birth

Clinical Negligence News : 9 August 2012

A multi-million pound compensation payout from Colchester Hospital is to be offered to a young girl who suffered catastrophic brain damage at birth, leaving her severely disabled.

Samantha Singleton-Parkes, now eight, was born at Colchester General Hospital in 2003. Samantha’s mother, Gail Singleton-Parkes, sued Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust on Samantha’s behalf, claiming that the injuries were a direct result of negligence. Initially, the trust denied liability, but has since agreed to settle the matter by paying Mrs Singleton-Parkes 70 per cent of what she was claiming in London's High Court.

The exact amount that Samantha will receive has yet to be decided. It will, however, be based on an estimate of the costs of Samantha’s care needs throughout her life.   

Mrs Singleton-Parkes said, “I’m happy with the outcome – and I will be even happier when it’s all over. We expect it could take up to a year to settle and I will probably still be in the same state I am now, even then. It all happened eight years ago but has dragged on. It’s still very raw.”

Announcing his decision, Judge Nigel Wilkinson QC stated, “This was damage done to a healthy child and compensation will be assessed on that basis.”

A spokesman for the trust said, “This is a very tragic case surrounding the management of Samantha and her mother, post-delivery. The trust is pleased the issue of liability has been resolved. The parties will now focus on assessing Samantha’s disabilities to ensure she has funds available to pay for her future needs.
The trust offers Samantha and her family its very best wishes for the future.”