Heart girl in legal fee dispute

Sophie and her mother have recently moved into a specially converted home

Part of the compensation awarded to a Devon victim of the Bristol heart baby scandal is to be held back because of a dispute over a legal bill.

The mother of Sophie Plackett fears some of the money for her daughter could be used to pay £100,000 in legal costs.

Sophie, who is now 15, was left profoundly disabled when as a baby she had a heart operation at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

She was eventually given £350,000 in a no-fault settlement, plus £70,000 a year for life.

Somebody's got to pay it but I don't think Sophie should Penny Plackett

But now her mother is concerned a substantial amount of the compensation already awarded to her daughter will be taken away in extra legal fees.

The NHS is disputing £100,000 of the legal costs of the case.

Some or all of that could be paid out of the compensation.

"I know that the solicitor's bill for Sophie came to £220,000 and I understood that the other side was going to pay all her legal costs," said Mrs Plackett.

"Suddenly they are arguing about this £100,000, they are not going to pay it.

"Somebody's got to pay it but I don't think Sophie should."

Mrs Plackett will find out in December how much of the compensation already awarded could be taken in extra legal fees.