£2m damages over 'preventable' death

The family of an "exceptional" businesswoman, wife and mother who died an "entirely preventable" death was awarded £2m agreed damages at the High Court in London yesterday.

Lily Baden-Powell had already combined high-flying careers in law and banking with caring for four children under eight by the time she died at the age of 38 in August 1995.

Mrs Baden-Powell, whose widower, Harry, is a great-nephew of the founder of scouting, had fallen ill with pancreatitis, caused by a gallstone,a month earlier, the family's counsel, Paul Rees QC, told Mr Justice Rougier. She was admitted for treatment to Manchester Royal Infirmary where, the family said, she should have been operated on to excise dead tissue as it had a great susceptibility to infection. Mr Rees, who described Mrs Baden-Powell as a "truly exceptional woman", said the danger was obvious but the operation was not carried out for 16 days – 10 days before her death which was "not only tragic but entirely preventable".

After graduating from the London School of Economics Mrs Baden-Powell became a barrister and later joined her husband in the financial world. After their children were born between 1986 and 1990, she returned to work in the equities market. At the time of her death she was providing all her family's income through her work as a stockbroker while Mr Baden-Powell worked on a children's nursery business venture set up by his wife.

Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust, agreed to settle the claim on a basis of 80 per cent liability, with no admissions or apology made.