Twins win damages in High Court rulings

A girl left traumatised when her identical twin sister died from meningitis 11 years ago after a GP failed to diagnose the disease has been awarded £325,000 in compensation.

Charlotte Donovan, now 14, watched her three-year-old sister, Stevi, die from the illness while her mother begged in vain by phone for an out-of-hours GP to make a home visit.

Although Terri Donovan feared that her daughter had meningitis, she claimed that Dr Steven Millard dismissed the symptoms and told her instead to simply give the child Calpol.

Miss Donovan, now 50, rang the GP three times in 12 hours during the night as her daughter's condition worsened.

When another doctor arrived in the morning Stevi was taken to hospital where she died within hours from meningococcal septicaemia.

The High Court in London awarded Charlotte the six-figure sum after hearing that she is still haunted by the death of Stevi, in January 1997.

It has left her terrified of hospitals and doctors, constantly worried about her family's health and suffering from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.

Charlotte, from Plympton, Devon, and Stevi were described as inseparable, sharing a deep emotional bond from birth and dressing in identical clothes.

Mr Simon Readhead QC, representing Charlotte, told the High Court that Dr Millard had already "admitted breach of duty" and accepted he should have visited after receiving a phone call at 3am from her distraught mother.

In a separate case, a twin baby boy has also been awarded £2.4million in damages after suffering brain damage at birth.

Robert Jackson, was born at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, in July 1998, more than an hour after his older twin brother, William.

He suffered brain damage after being starved of oxygen during the delivery which left him with cerebral palsy.

Lawyers claimed medical staff failed to rush through an emergency Caesarean, despite evidence the baby was in distress.

Although in mainstream education, Robert's cerebral palsy limits his powers of speech, co-ordination and he has developmental delays.

Barrister William Edis told the court that Robert, now nine, would need a carer during adulthood to help him overcome his difficulties.

John Witting, counsel for the Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, denied breach of duty but said they were 'satisfied' the case had been settled.

Judge Mr Justice Roderick Evans, who approved the settlement at London's High Court, said he hoped the damages would help give the child some quality of life. "There can be no doubt that Robert has all the love and care he will ever need,' the judge said. I hope that this money - which I understand is no compensation at all - will improve his quality of life and security, and also help those who care for him to care for him."