LOCAL hospital chiefs have apologised to the family of a five-year-old girl from Lancaster who was left with severe brain damage following a medical blunder.

Harriet McAvoy sustained her injuries while her mother was in labour at Lancaster Royal Infirmary in 1993.

Lancaster Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has accepted that their negligence during the labour was responsible for Harriet's injuries.

The five-year-old will be totally dependent upon others for care throughout her life and the amount of damages will be decided at a second court hearing.

The Lancaster Acute Trust was involved with a merger with other trusts last year and the liability for this case has now passed on to the new Morecambe Bay Hospital Trust.

A spokesman for the Morecambe Bay Trust said they were "deeply sorry" that the events happened in the way they did.

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