A GIRL from Whitchurch who was left 'grievously disabled' after she was asphyxiated in her mother's womb won the right this week to up to £2 million damages at London's High Court.

Claire Elizabeth Jury was born on January 6, 1992, at Freedom Fields Hospital in Plymouth, but in-utero problems left her subject to fits and suffering from learning difficulties and cerebral palsy affecting all four of her limbs.

Through her mother, Jacqueline Perkin, Claire, now 11, sued the South West Peninsula Health Authority for alleged negligence in the management of Mrs Perkin's labour.

This week the health authority agreed to compensate Claire on the basis of 80% liability. Although the amount of compensation has yet to be assessed her lawyers say she will now be due around £2-million.

James Badenoch QC for Claire, told Mrs Justice Hallett that when she was admitted to the hospital three days before Claire's birth, Mrs Perkin had shown signs that she was suffering from pre-eclampsia, 'a potentially life-threatening condition' involving raised blood pressure.

The condition also 'certainly affects the health of the unborn child' and the QC said that, in the light of those warning signs 'her labour should have been regarded as high risk'. 'Sadly in her case, the management of her labour did not include a special index of concern which should have been present,' he said.

'She should have been watched like a hawk and staff should have been extremely vigilant to any further difficulties.

'There should have been a senior obstetrician monitoring her progress very closely and ready to take action if the foetus showed any signs of ominous distress.'

Adding that the midwive's notes suggested the obstetrician had been 'bleeped three times' without responding, Mr Badenoch concluded: 'There was very little in the way of monitoring — that was mostly left to the midwives. I know staff in obstetric units can be very busy but this was a high-risk case.'

Mr Badenoch said Claire's family had decided to accept the 80% offer as there was little medical evidence suggesting that some of her brain damage may have been caused by a 'pre-labour stroke' for which the health authority would not be liable.

Paul Rees QC, representing the health authority, said he had already 'expressed appropriate sentiments' to Claire's parents, who were not in court on Monday.

A statement issued on behalf of Mrs Perkin from her solicitor Simon Parford it said: 'It was alleged that there were clear and obvious signs that Claire was suffering fetal distress and that she needed to be delivered urgently by an emergency caesarean section.

'It was further alleged that Claire suffered a period of oxygen deprivation which could have been avoided by an earlier delivery.'

The statement added that Claire had special needs and would require help on a daily basis for the whole of her life. The settlement would secure her future and ensure she achieved her maximum potential and had the best quality of life that was possible.