Dancer left with brain damage in childbirth

Former dancer Kerstin Parkin was left unable to talk and needing round-the-clock care after blunders during the birth of her first child at Farnborough Hospital, Kent, in 1996.

The 35-year-old suffered a heart attack while giving birth, leaving her profoundly brain-damaged.

The court was told how staff at the hospital had failed to take basic steps to prevent damage and a cardiac crash team were unable to reach her because they did not know the security code to get into her ward.

As a result Mrs Parkin - who with her husband Mark was once among the world's best Latin American dancers - was left needing therapy for the rest of her life.

The only voluntary movement she was left with was the ability to move her head and eyes slightly.

Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust admitted liability for her injuries during a High Court hearing in

February 1999 and Mrs Parkin received £7 million plus an annual payment of £250,000 for the rest of her life - the largest award for compensation ever made in a clinical negligence claim.

The amount was intended to reflect the actual cost of providing the care, therapy and equipment that Mrs Parkin will need at her Surrey home for the next 50 years.