Health chiefs drop damages appeal

The parents of a brain-damaged child who died just days after being awarded pounds 700,000 damages, yesterday said they were relieved that health chiefs had halted plans to reclaim the money.

Toni Calladine and her husband Peter had fought for the nine years of daughter Hollie's life to win the compensation for mistakes made during the child's birth at a Nottingham hospital, but she died eight days after they won their court battle in May. Then Nottinghamshire Health Authority said it would seek to reclaim at least part of the award, claiming that some had been meant for Hollie's on-going care. But yesterday, in a joint statement, Hollie's parents and the health authority said an agreement had been reached in which the latter would be withdrawing its appeal against the damages.