Out-of-court settlement comes following accusations of medical negligence around the girl’s serious brain injuries

The maternity unit at North Middlesex University Hospital

A 17-year-old girl who suffered a serious brain injury following her birth at North Middlesex University Hospital has been awarded £3million in compensation.

The High Court approved the compensation package for the girl, known as ‘JXX’ to protect her identity, who was born prematurely at the Edmonton hospital in 2007. She sustained a serious brain injury due to a significant bleed shortly after birth and now lives with profound and permanent injuries.

JXX has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, visual impairment, and epilepsy. She requires 24-hour care and has undergone multiple surgeries throughout her life.

Following the ordeal, her family instructed medical negligence experts at Simpson Millar to investigate the care she received and bring a claim for compensation against North Middlesex University Hospitals NHS Trust. The organisation was recently merged into Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

The legal claim alleged that clinicians failed to properly assess and respond to a significant drop in haemoglobin levels, which contributed to the development of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) — a type of bleeding in the brain that can occur in premature babies when the delicate blood vessels near the brain’s ventricles rupture.

JXX went on to suffer from a post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus, a serious condition where fluid builds up in the brain due to the blockage caused by the bleed. This can increase pressure within the skull and cause further damage to the brain, particularly in very young and vulnerable infants and result in lasting neurological damage.

As part of the claim against North Mid, JXX’s legal team argued that action to identify the severity of the bleed and to deliver treatment sooner could have altered the outcome.

The case has now settled out of court without an admission of liability.

The £3million settlement, approved by the High Court earlier this month, will go towards funding the teenager’s lifelong care needs, including therapies, specialist equipment, and adapted accommodation to support both her and her family.

JXX’s mother said: “The injuries my daughter suffered are profound, and it has been a long and difficult 17 years as we’ve tried to come to terms with what happened and the impact it has had on her life – and mine.

“I truly believe that if she had received better care from the beginning, she might now be reaching major milestones and preparing for an independent future. That will never happen for her, and it’s something we will always carry with us.

“Reaching a settlement brings some relief, but there is no sense of victory. This is not about financial gain – it’s about giving my daughter the chance to live with dignity and as much independence as possible.

“With this settlement, we can finally begin to put in place the support, care, and long-term security she needs, but it is also difficult to accept that the trust has taken no responsibility for what happened.

“We have not received a meaningful apology for the outcome our daughter has endured, and that leaves us worried that nothing will change, and that no lessons will be learned.”

Sarah Hartley, medical negligence expert at Simpson Millar, who represented the family, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult ordeal for the family, and while no amount of money can undo the harm caused, this settlement will help provide the care and stability JXX now needs.

“It is our hope that any lessons that can be learned from this case are taken seriously and used to improve care for other families in the future.”

A spokesperson for Royal Free London, which took on responsibility for North Mid at the start of this year, said: “We hope this settlement will help with JXX’s ongoing care, as well as providing some comfort and support to her and her family.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.