A HOSPITAL trust must pay millions of pounds to the family of a baby girl left severely brain damaged due to mistakes by maternity staff - a month after it was forced into a massive pay out due to a similar blunder on the same ward.

The girl was starved of oxygen in 2006 while her mother was in labour at King George Hospital in Goodmayes, leaving her facing a lifetime of disability, completely dependent on the care of others.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals Trust has apologised for the errors and agreed to pay the girl's family a £2.3million lump sum, including £230,000 for her "pain and suffering" and annual payments beginning at £100,000 for lifetime care costs.

It comes a month after the beleaguered trust, which is £150 million in debt , paid out £5million in compensation to the family of a boy left severely brain damaged after he was also deprived of oxygen.

Doctors failed to carry out a caesarian section quick enough after his mother's womb ruptured.

The High Court heard the mother of the girl, who has not been named, was given inappropriate levels of labour-inducing drug Syntocinon.

This led to complications which resulted in the baby's brain being starved of oxygen.

She now suffers with cerebral palsy, is unable to sit unaided and has a severe learning disability.

Her barrister, Derek Holwill, today told Judge Mitchell on Monday that liability for the injuries was never in issue and judgement was entered in the girl's favour.

It meant that only the level of the compensation to be paid was left to be decided and the parties had come together and agreed suitable sums, he said.

For the NHS Trust, Mr Havers said: "This is the first opportunity that the trust has had publicly to apologise for the errors which led to the most unfortunate outcome in this case.

"May I take this opportunity to convey to the claimant and her family the trust's most sincere apologies.

"No amount of compensation can, of course, turn back the clock, but the trust hopes and believes that the sums to be paid will provide some recompense for the devoted care the claimant's parents have provided to her and, secondly, will provide for her future needs."

Judge Mitchell ordered that nothing be published which might lead to the family's identification.

Maternity services under the trust's management were criticised last year by the Care Quality Commission, which now says significant improvements have been made.

The government plans to close the King George maternity unit and move services to Queen's Hospital in Romford.

Click here to follow the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian on Twitter

Click here to follow the Wanstead and Woodford Guardian on Facebook