Six-year-old boy awarded £3.8m after hospital failings at his birth left him severely disabled
Judge Justice Davies said she was "humbled" by the care Martin and Kelly Bowley had given to their son Jake
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A severely disabled six-year-old boy has been awarded £3.8m in compensation, after his condition was deemed to be the result of hospital mistakes.
A High Court judge ruled in Jake Bowley's favour after hearing a
bout the mismanagement of his birth at Coventry's University Hospital.
Following his birth in April 2007, Bowley was diagnosed with a host of health problems, including cerebral palsy, "severe cognitive and motor difficulties", "severe" visual impairment and "profound" lifelong learning difficulties.
His lawyers argued that delays in carrying out an emergency caesarean section led to his brain being catastrophically starved of oxygen.
The NHS Trust admitted liability. Approving the payout, Judge Justice Davies said she felt "humbled" by the care Bowley's parents, Martin and Kelly Bowley, had given to him.
“It requires so much – both physically and emotionally. I hope this settlement will give you some peace of mind,” she told the couple.
Speaking after the case, Meghana Pandit, Chief Medical Officer, said: “We are deeply sorry for the unimaginable distress Jake and his family have suffered as a result of the care provided six years ago.
“We have learned from what happened to Jake and since 2007 we have increased numbers of midwives and medical consultant cover on Labour Ward.
“All staff have regular training in management of high risk births and cases are discussed in a learning environment on Labour Ward daily.
“No amount of money can ever compensate for distress and suffering but I hope that the financial settlement goes a small way towards helping Jake.”
At the end of last year, it was estimated that the NHS faced a bill of £18bn for compensation payments like this one - increasing at an annual rate of 10 per cent.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments