One of the largest clinical negligence claim settlements with the NHS has highlighted once again the different approach taken in the UK to diagnosing and treating Group B Streptococcus (Group B Strep) in pregnancy.
The claim involved a failure to diagnose the Group B Strep infection despite red flags in the mother’s condition, including some obvious signs of infection. Sadly the Group B Strep infection is harmful in that it can pass to a baby during childbirth and lead to serious complications and can be life threatening. Antibiotic treatment is highly effective when administered early. In this family’s case, sadly the infection resulted in sepsis and strep-B related meningitis causing significant damage to the baby’s brain.
In many other countries routine testing for Group B Strep in pregnancy enables early diagnosis which means treatment can be started to minimise the risk of complications linked to the infection. There is currently a clinical trial in the UK analysing the clinical benefits of routine versus risk or symptom led testing. At present the focus is on informing pregnant patients about the symptoms and red flags and testing when symptoms are noted. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists provide useful guidance – Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in pregnancy and newborn babies.
The clinical negligence claim settled for around £35million which provides the child and their family with the funds they need to meet the costs of care, ongoing treatments and therapies and meet their lifelong needs. Understanding, defining, and quantifying the needs of a patient with a significant brain injury requires a specialist team of experts co-ordinated by a team of legal advisors experienced in complex cases. This is crucial in ensuring that not only does the claim appropriately compensates the child for the long term but the family have compassionate and expert guidance and advice along the way, importantly including accessing interim payments so the immediate needs of the child can be met.
This recent case handled by Devonshires, and the birth injury claim which the Nockolds team handled last year (Yasmin Ameer Secures the Second-Largest Medical Negligence Settlement Against the NHS) illustrate the complex needs of patients and families who impacted in birth injury circumstances and the devastating reality that underlies the compensation awarded reported.