A NINE-year-old girl who was severely injured during her birth at Colchester General Hospital is set to receive millions of pounds in damages.

During her birth at the Turner Road hospital in 2007, she suffered brain damage after being starved of oxygen.

Her solicitor, William Edis QC, told London’s High Court the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is now in the “highest category of disability”.

Yesterday she was guaranteed the seven-figure payout as Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Turner Road hospital, agreed to settle the case.

Bosses there agreed the trust would pay damages equal to two-thirds of the full value of her claim, Judge Karen Walden-Smith was told.

William Edis QC told the court: “This was a labour that was, we say, not conspicuously competently conducted.”

He also said the “urgent priority” is to have the girl and her parents re-housed in a specially adapted home.

Martin Forde QC, who represented the trust, described the girl’s parents as “devoted carers" and acknowledged the girl “did not receive the level of care that should have been afforded to her and her mother during her labour”.

He added: “Lessons have been learned.”

Trust chief executive Nick Hulme has also written a letter of apology to the family.

Judge Walden-Smith approved the agreement, saying: “I appreciate just how much the family have devoted themselves to her and the real difficulties which have been faced by them.

“I hope very much that this is a step towards making life for her easier.”

The exact amount of damages has yet to be assessed but multi-million-pound payouts are standard in cases of such severe disability.

A spokesman for the trust said: “The parties are working hard to resolve the level of damages to be paid.

“It is recognised that the care provided by the trust fell below the standard expected.

“The trust has offered its sincere apologies to her and her family.”

He added: “Whilst we appreciate that no amount of money can compensate her and her family, and the trust is unable to change the events in 2007, we hope following the resolution of this case the sums paid will enable her family to continue to care for her now and in the future.

“The trust works hard to ensure the quality of its health care service continues to improve and that lessons are learnt after mistakes are made.”

Due to the girl’s acute vulnerability, the judge ordered that nothing must be published which could identify her, or members of her family.