Recent research has revealed that the NHS is drowning under a massive number of medical negligence claims for birth injuries that could cost more than £250 million in personal injury compensation payouts.
The incredible surge in personal injury claims for medical negligence can be traced to failures of medical staff to diagnose 60 cases of low levels of blood sugar in newborn children, according to figures from the NHS Litigation Authority. The cases could cost a sum of £235 million if resolved in favour of the injured children, the money for which has been set aside, yet an additional 19 medical negligence cases have already cost the NHS £69.3 million.
Low blood sugar levels in infants can be quite serious if not treated properly, with the results being as serious as brain injuries or even death. The parents of children left with severe disabilities in the wake of brain damage are often left with the responsibility of caring for children who cannot care for themselves, as these children are often plagued with a host of physical and developmental disabilities that require 24 hour a day care for their entire lives.
Many families rely on the compensation payments given to them by the NHS in order to provide their disabled child with the level of care they require so badly. These care needs are often prohibitively expensive, and most compensation payments take the form of a lump sum sometimes in the millions of pounds, followed by annual payments thereafter in order to ensure the long-term needs of a disabled child are met adequately.