Scunthorpe blind babys parents seek damages from NHS

A Lincolnshire couple are seeking compensation from the NHS after their son was blinded in one eye during birth. The baby, Xavier Cutillo, had his eyeball injured and his skull fractured through the misuse of forceps at Scunthorpe General Hospital, his parents are claiming. Liability has been admitted by Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Policies and practices have been changed due to this incident which occurred in 2009. The mother of Xavier, Emma Porogallo was admitted to the hospital on 21st December last year. After the injury occurred, further medical examination confirmed there was nothing that could be done to restor his sight. There was also the possibility that Xavier may have suffered from brain damage due to the mistake. Miss Portogallo has said, My son will have to live with the consequences of this for the rest of his life. The whole experience has been extremely traumatic for both me and Xaviers father Daniel weve been left physically and emotionally traumatised. The solicitors of the family are now working in order to secure a settlement of compensation which will cover Xaviers future medical fees and care. Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust released a statement stating, The trust has carried out a full investigation and review into the incident which led to injuries to Xavier. A number of changes to policy and practice have been implemented to ensure an risk of the circumstances being repeated are minimised. In particular, staff training has been extended and increased in frequency.