Baby left brain damaged after doctor 'delayed by security door Today Mr Justice MacKay approved a compensation package for Miss Ross valued at about £5million. On top of a £1.5m lump sum, the trust will pay £126,500-a-year, tax free and index-linked, until Miss Ross is 18. Those payments will then increase to £177,500-a-year to cover the costs of her care for the rest of her life. After her mother went through a difficult labour in December 1998 there were further problems when her head was delivered but her body became stuck for about 10 minutes. Due to the stresses placed upon her body she required resuscitation by a specialist doctor when she was finally delivered. But the doctor's attendance was apparently delayed by security issues. Miss Ross, now 14, of Marlow Wy, Bedford, was left with severe cognitive and physical handicaps as well as a life expectancy cut short by the events which surrounded her birth. Martin Spencer QC, set out the details of Lucie's case in papers before the court, claiming staff should have realised something was wrong and called for medical assistance earlier. Lucie has sustained gross cerebral injury as a result of acute, profound asphyxia, occurring immediately before her birth and continuing thereafter until terminated by effective resuscitation. "The Trust (failed) to maintain the entry point to the maternity unit in a suitable condition to allow free access to clinicians called to the unit to attend an emergency, in that the entrance doors were defective and/or inadequately maintained to allow such access," the barrister alleged. Lucie was asphyxiated and flat on delivery and was resuscitated. The paediatrician...recorded that he was delayed by the security doors into the maternity unit. It is overwhelmingly likely that Lucie would have avoided the devastating asphyxial injury which she suffered had reasonably competent midwifery care and/or maintenance of the unit been provided. Had medical assistance been called earlier, and had the doctor not been delayed by the security doors, Miss Ross would have escaped serious brain injury, her intellect would have been preserved and she would have been able to lead an independent life, it was claimed. As it is, MIss Ross suffers severe four-limb cerebral palsy and is completely dependent on others for all aspects of her care, 24 hours-a-day. Outside court afterwards Mr Spencer said: "There was some delay in the paediatrician getting into the ward because the door was locked. I think it was the standard sort of maternity ward security door where you ring a buzzer and somebody is supposed to let you in. This was 14 years ago, but when you get a paediatraician attending an emergency and they can't even get in because the door is locked it's pretty poor. Clare and David Ross, Miss Ross's parents, said: "We are pleased with the settlement but, having said that, we would much rather have not been in this situation at all and have a healthy 14-year-old daughter, living life to the full like any other teenager. What should have been the celebration of the birth of a beautiful daughter turned into a long battle for compensation. Her life was ruined and a family's life turned upside down. The most important thing now is to give Lucie all the love in the world and the best life she could wish for, and treasure what precious time we have left with Lucie.