A man in his 20s has been awarded £1 million compensation for his life-long injuries. The man is one of the last, if not the last, victim of the notorious spate of allegedly negligent paediatric surgery at Bristol Royal Infirmary to have his case settled, more than a decade after the negligence occurred.
He was very young when he underwent surgery to correct a congenital heart defect in the early 1990s. During the operation, it was claimed that not enough was done to save him from brain damage whilst he was on heart bypass. They also alleged that he was negligently cared for after the operation. As a result, he continued to require a great deal of care and assistance from his parents and would never be able to lead a fully independent life.
On his behalf, his legal team sued the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust which agreed to settle his claim, without making any admission of liability. The compromise was approved as ‘sensible and realistic’ by the High Court. The man’s case was believed to be the final ‘Bristol heart baby’ matter awaiting a hearing; however, the family’s lawyers emphasised that, even now, there may be other alleged victims who have yet to come forward.