NHS payout to brain-damaged man

A compensation package amounting to around £6.2m has been won by a man that contracted encephalitis at the age of one, leaving him with severe disabilities – including epilepsy, behavioural problems and learning difficulties.

The man, who is now in his twenties, was being cared for at Watford General Hospital when he experienced inflammation of the brain.

The hospital staff at the time did not administer the anti-viral drug Acyclovir for eight hours.

The man’s parents had previously believed that their son’s disabilities were a result of a vaccine given to him when he was a baby. They did not seek legal help until 2012.

However, during the investigation it was found that the hospital staff at the time had delayed giving the boy the necessary anti-viral drug for eight hours.

As a result of this, the man’s family received an initial lump sum of £1.5m, and will continue to receive £74,000 a year in order to cover any healthcare costs for the rest of his life.

A specialist Medical Negligence Lawyer said: “It is very tragic that at such an early age this young man’s fate was already decided at the hands of the NHS Trust. Nothing can turn the clock back but damages awarded in these cases help to some extent by providing essential therapies, care and equipment that would otherwise not be available to families in this situation.”