The HSE has made a € 5m settlement with the family of a boy with cerebral palsy in a case taken over the handling of his birth at Sligo General Hospital.
The case, which was settled without an admission of liability, was taken by his mother Lisa Carpenter who lives in Coolaney, Co. Sligo.
Kyle Carpenter was born three weeks early on May 3rd 2009.
His mother Lisa went to hospital two days beforehand complaining of stomach pain but she was reassured everything was normal.
The pain continued after she went home but she experienced no pain when she woke up on May 3rd and couldn’t feel any movement.
She was advised to go back to hospital and a CTG scan taken at 1.30 gave cause for concern.
Despite that, she claimed a decision to deliver the baby wasn’t made for another hour and Kyle required resuscitation and intubation when he was eventually delivered at 3.37.
He has since been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
The HSE contested liability and the case was due to go to a full hearing before it was settled out of court today with no admission of liability.
In approving the € 5m settlement, Mr. J Kevin Cross described the case as “complex” and one, he said, that would have had an uncertain outcome for the family had it gone to a full hearing.
