Two NHS trusts have paid millions of pounds damages for cases of medical negligence causing cerebral palsy.

Data revealed by law firm Lime Solicitors shows East Sussex Healthcare Trust and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust paid £98 million in 31 cerebral palsy clinical negligence claims between 2012/13 and 2022/23.

The data comes from a freedom of information request submitted to NHS Resolution, a body of the Department of Health and Social Care that provides advice to the NHS on disputes.

Figures have also shown that nationally, one in 14 cerebral palsy cases could have been avoided over the past 11 years. Trusts across the country have paid out a total of £3.5 billion in damages.

Melanie Minter, medical negligence partner at Lime Solicitors, said: “One of the main causes of cerebral palsy is hypoxic brain injury during childbirth which is where a baby’s brain gets starved of oxygen.

“Sometimes, this cannot be prevented or it is impossible to work out what caused the child’s injuries.

“However, negligent mistakes by healthcare professionals can lead to a child sustaining a hypoxic brain injury.

“Errors can include delayed delivery, birth injuries, failing to respond to the umbilical cord being wrapped around a baby’s neck and missing signs of foetal distress such as meconium.

“Negligent injuries resulting in cerebral palsy should not take place and we know the lessons that should have been learned but unfortunately time and time again the same mistakes are made.”

Dr Tim Taylor, chief of service for the women and children’s division for University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Any occasion where a child or mother suffers harm is one too many - such instances are thankfully rare but we realise how traumatic it is for a family to go through this and our heartfelt sympathies go to them.

"In recent years our teams have made significant improvements in terms of the safety of their service and everyone is committed to continuing that progress for the benefit of our mothers and babies."

A spokesman from East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said: “Although even one incident such as these is one too many, they are extremely rare at the trust and our maternity team continues to work hard to further improve the safety of our maternity care.

“The trust participates in the national Maternity Incentive Scheme to reduce incidences of death and injury to newborn babies delivered by the NHS.

“The scheme requires maternity services to ensure that the safety of mothers and babies is supported and strengthened across a range of measures, from implementing models of care to ensuring that enough of the right staff are in place for the service to operate as safely as possible.

“Over the last five years of the scheme, the trust has successfully implemented every action from the scheme each year, ensuring that our maternity service is safe and responsive to the needs of babies and parents”.