DANIELLE DWYER

A nine-year-old boy left severely disabled when medical staff made errors during his birth was awarded £8m in compensation yesterday.

Owen Johnson, from Dudley, West Midlands, sustained brain damage during his birth at Wordsley Hospital, Stourbridge, on April 18 1999, after he was temporarily deprived of oxygen.

As a result, he suffers from choreoathetoid cerebral palsy, rendering him unable to dress or feed himself properly.

He also has problems with balance and mobility, and is unable to go to the lavatory unaided.

Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust accepted that failures were made during the delivery.

The trust admitted that an obstetrician was not called to examine an abnormal indication of foetal distress, leading to a period of near total asphyxiation, law firm Irwin Mitchell said.

Yesterday's payout, finalised at the High Court in Birmingham yesterday afternoon, will take care of Owen's long-term needs.

The settlement, believed to be one of the largest of its kind in the UK, includes a lump sum payment of £2m, to be followed by annual payments.

Owen's mother, Sally Johnson, said: "I am relieved that today's settlement will mean that Owen can be cared for in the way he needs, for the rest of his life.

"I still feel angry that simple mistakes, which should never have happened, led to Owen's condition."

She added: "Owen is constantly challenging himself and those around him. However, the fact that he wants to be out and about doing things has meant he actually needs more help and support as he has grown older, rather than less."

Mandy Luckman, a medical negligence specialist at Irwin Mitchell, which represents the family, said: "Owen has suffered significant disabilities.

"Thanks largely to both Owen and Sally's personal determination and the hard work of staff at both the Foundation for Conductive Education and Sledmere Primary School, he has amazed the medical experts who predicted he would never be able to walk. Owen can now walk short distances and his speech is improving. However, we need to balance the progress made with the fact that he will need 24-hour care and support for the rest of his life.

"Today's settlement, which we believe is one of the largest in a cerebral palsy claim, reflects the fact that Owen has a long-life expectancy and will require adequate funds to purchase the significant care that he will require for many years."