A HOSPITAL has been fined £13m after a boy was left with severe disabilities from birth.

Basildon Hospital was ordered to pay the damages after the 10-year-old boy was left severely disabled from birth.

Delays in treatment at the hospital caused the youngster to suffer a "catastrophic brain injury", Mrs Justice Lambert told London's High Court.

It also meant the boy's mother suffered a number of complications.

Basildon Hospital said it was a "tragic and serious case", according to the BBC.

Following his difficult birth, the youngster suffers with autistic spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the court heard.

He has sleeping problems, his parents face difficulties in "engaging his attention" and he sometimes has "violent outbursts."

According to the BBC, the trust admitted the boy's mother should have been admitted to hospital after an ante-natal appointment, also accepted he should have been delivered six hours earlier than he was.

The trust agreed to pay the boy 80 per cent of the full value of his claim on the basis he would have suffered some injury in any event.

He will receive a lump sum of £2.7m, plus index-linked and tax-free annual payments to cover the cost of his care for life.

Outside court, the boy's lawyers confirmed that the capitalised value of his payout comes to more than £13m, when spread over the course of his lifetime.

Mrs Justice Lambert said the settlement was "fair, reasonable and in the boy's best interests".

She added: "Money cannot turn the clock back, but a damages settlement can make life easier."

Alexander Antelme QC, for the NHS Trust, said it was a "tragic and serious case".

He praised the "commitment and care" of the boy's parents and "wished the family the very best" for the future.

A spokesperson from Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals said: "Basildon  Hospital is pleased that the court has approved the settlement agreed between the parties, in respect of the circumstances surrounding the injury to LXD following his delivery in April 2008.

"The Trust hopes that the agreed settlement will provide the Claimant and his family security for the future.

"The Trust wishes the Claimant and his family well."