A girl whose intelligent mind is trapped inside a severely disabled body due to a hospital bungle during her birth has been awarded £3 million damages.

Twins Hannah and Jennie Haines were born at Airedale Hospital, in July, 1992. Parents Beverley and Michael Haines, of Exley Head, are convinced both girls are equally bright - but while Jennie is a vivacious youngster, Hannah can't walk or speak and will need constant care for the rest of her life.

The only movement she can perform is to wriggle around on her back, the High Court in London heard.

Airedale NHS Trust, which the judge Mr Justice Bell said had admitted negligence in the hours before Hannah's birth, was ordered to pay her £3,097,405 in damages.

"But for the trust's negligence, Hannah would have had the same good health and intelligence as Jennie," said the judge. "As it is, she suffers from dyskynetic, choreo-athetoid, cerebral palsy, which causes severe motor disability.

"She cannot stand, let alone walk, on her own, although she can progress forwards when strapped in a four-wheeled walker. It is anticipated she will be able to operate a motorised wheelchair to some extent."

Although Hannah will never be able to speak, the judge said she responded to her parents, Jennie and her older sister, Kylie, 13, and is able to convey her wishes by eye movements, head turning and basic noises, understood by those who know her well. The judge said a primary issue in the case had been the level of Hannah's intelligence.

"Mr and Mrs Haines feel that Hannah is as intelligent as Jennie, who is a bright little girl. One can understand their reluctance to accept that there had been any intellectual damage."

Hannah's parents, who met at Airedale hospital, where they both worked as nurses, have settled in Keighley so that Hannah can attend a mainstream school when she is older. She currently studies at the Montessori School, in Bolton Abbey, where she takes part in classes with a one-to-one classroom assistant.

The court heard that Mr and Mrs Haines have so far cared for Hannah unaided - because they "found it difficult to contemplate care by anyone else." The damages pay-out includes £175,000 for Hannah's pain, suffering and loss of amenity, but by far the largest part of the award is £1.3 million to cover the costs of future care.

Dr Paul Godwin, Airedale NHS Trust's medical director, said this week it was by far the biggest negligence pay-out it had ever made. "It's a matter of infinite regret this accident ever happened and that it took as long as it did to reach a settlement.

"The anguish felt and the hardships endured by Mr and Mrs Haines and their family are in no doubt and for this the trust is genuinely sorry."

He explained that at the time of Hannah's birth - by caesarean section - a locum registrar had been in charge. "Some time during the birth Hannah suffered a lack of oxygen and that had not been adequately identified. The trust was now using fewer locums in gynaecology and obstetrics and since 1993 the number of doctors at registrar staff grade had been improved. The trust also aimed to employ two more consultants to complement the three already in gynaecology and obstetrics.

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