Health chiefs admit birth errors

Baby Ava had a difficult birth at the hospital

Hospital officials paid out £104,000 after admitting that poor medical care contributed to the premature death of a baby born with severe brain damage.

Toddler Ava Sims Teskey-King, of Bilton, near Hull, died in November 2007 aged just 21 months.

She was born at Hull Women and Children's Hospital in January 2006 but suffered brain damage because the umbilical cord was around her neck.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust accepted liability in the case.

Ava's parents, Lee Sims and Leanne Teskey-King were told the hospital trust had accepted full liability for their daughter's death and had agreed to the settlement.

Speaking to BBC News, Ms Teskey-King said: "We have had reports, they were other people's opinions, independent obstetricians.

"They do say that had she been delivered something like 20 minutes earlier, she could have survived."

Ava's parents were told the hospital accepted responsibility

In a statement, Stephen Greep, the chief executive of the trust, said procedures had been reviewed since Ava's birth.

"I would like to express my sincere condolences to Leanne Teskey-King and Lee Sims for this tragic incident.

"The trust has accepted full liability in this case and a compensation package has been agreed with the couple.

"Since this incident occurred in 2006 the trust has conducted a full internal investigation and all policies and procedures have been reviewed to ensure that we meet the high standards of care expected of us."

The NHS Litigation Service, which deals with the details of the compensation package, confirmed the payout and added the figure was higher than £104,000 but certain benefit payments had to be recouped.