HEO -v- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (anonymity order)
Claim number: QB-2022-MAN-000033
In the High Court of Justice
King’s Bench Division
Manchester District Registry
12 September 2025
Before:
His Honour Judge Sephton KC
sitting as a Judge of the High Court
Between:
HEO
(a child, by AUR, the Litigation Friend)
-v-
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Withholding and reporting restriction orders
WARNING: you must comply with the terms imposed upon you by this Order: otherwise, your case is liable to be struck out or some other sanction imposed. If you cannot comply you are expected to make a formal application to the Court before any deadline imposed upon you expires.
BEFORE His Honour Judge Sephton KC sitting as a Judge of the High Court at Manchester on 12 September 2025
UPON HEARING Mr James Rowley KC for the Claimant and Ms Shaheen Rahman KC for the Defendant
AND WHEREAS the Claimant is a child and brings the Claim by AUR the Litigation Friend.
UPON READING the Opinion on Compromise of Mr James Rowley KC dated 2 September 2025 and the statement of the Litigation Friend dated 3 September 2025.
AND UPON the parties having reached proposed terms of settlement in respect of which the Claimant intends to seek the approval of the Court pursuant to CPR Part 21
AND UPON
a) It appearing to the Court that the Orders made below are necessary to protect the integrity of these proceedings in the interests of justice and
b) The Defendant indicating its neutrality to the making of these Orders and there being no representations from the press or any other interested party.
WHEREAS for the purposes of this order:
a) ‘Publication’ includes any speech, writing, broadcast, or other communication in whatever form (including internet and social media), which is addressed to the public at large or any section of the public.
b) Publication for the purpose of this Order includes any further publication (as defined in subparagraph a) of this recital) from the date of this Order, even if such information has derived from a previous stage or stages of these proceedings.
IT IS ORDERED THAT:
Withholding orders
- The name and address of the Claimant, the Claimant’s Litigation Friend and other immediate family members, and any details (including other names, addresses, or a specific combination of facts) that could lead to the identification of the Claimant in these proceedings, are to be withheld.
- The title to these proceedings is hereby amended to that set out above and henceforth:
a) The Claimant shall be referred to as “HEO”.
b) The Litigation Friend shall be referred to as “AUR”.
c) Any other details liable to lead to the identification of the Claimant (including any names of other immediate family members or their addresses) shall be withheld. - Pursuant to CPR Rules 5.4C and 5.4D:
a) A person who is not a party to the proceedings may not obtain a copy of a statement of case, judgment or order from the Court records unless the statement of case, judgment or order has been anonymised in accordance with §2. above.
b) If a person who is not a party to the proceedings applies (pursuant to CPR r.5.4C(1B) or (2)) for permission to inspect or obtain a copy of any other document or communication, such application shall be on at least 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy. - In the event of anonymised or redacted documents being needed to facilitate access to documents from the court records in accordance with §3 of this Order, the parties shall cooperate with the Court in the supply of suitably edited documents.
Reporting restrictions order
- There shall not be disclosed in any report of these proceedings or other publication from the date of this Order the name or address of the Claimant, the Claimant’s Litigation Friend or other immediate family members, or any details (including other names, addresses, or a specific combination of facts) that could lead to the identification of the Claimant in these proceedings. The Claimant and the Litigation Friend shall be referred to as set out at paragraph 2 of this Order.
Ancillary orders
- The Court file shall be clearly marked with the words “Withholding and Reporting Restrictions Orders were made in this case on 12 September 2025 and any application by a non-party to inspect or obtain a copy document from this file must be dealt with in accordance with the terms of that Order.”
- Any interested party, whether or not a party to the proceedings, may apply to the Court to vary or discharge this Order, provided that any such application is made on 7 days’ notice to the Claimant’s solicitor, trustee or deputy.
- Pursuant to the ‘Practice Guidance: Publication of Privacy and Anonymity Orders’ issued by the Master of the Rolls dated 16 April 2019 a copy of this Order shall be published on the Judicial Website of the High Court of Justice (www.judiciary.uk). For that purpose, a court officer will send a copy of the order by email to the Judicial Office at judicialwebupdates@judiciary.uk.
- The provisions of this Order shall not prohibit disclosure of the Claimant’s name, address or any other information tending to identify him in communications between the Defendant or the National Health Service Litigation Authority or their successors in title and their legal and professional advisers, HM Revenue & Customs (or its successor), the Compensation Recovery Unit or any other person required by law. Nor shall its provisions prohibit disclosure by them of any information relating to the Defendant.
- The costs of obtaining this order be costs in the case.
DATED this 12th day of September 2025