THIS WEEK IN 1998: Putting a price on a life, love and family

The price of a mother's love for her daughter '“ just £2500 a year.

That was the figure awarded to a six-year-old Cosham girl by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust after doctors failed to spot a blood clot which eventually killed her mother.

Sandra Fletcher died in March 1994 from the clot on her lungs '“ just three weeks after she gave birth to a still-born baby.

Health bosses agreed to the pay-out total of £40 000 which represented the loss of maternal services to Sandra's daughter, Kirstie, from the age of two until 18 '“ which worked out at just £2,500 per year.

Sandra had been suffering from pains in the chest and leg, as well as breathlessness, shortly before her death.

Jean Fletcher, Sandra's mum, said: '˜Kirstie still cries for her mum. She says 'my mum has been gone long enough, go and get her back now'.'

Mrs Fletcher said she would never get over the way her daughter died.

'˜I lost my daughter but Kirstie lost her mother.'