The widower and sons of a woman who died after giving birth while under the care of disgraced surgeon Rodney Ledward have settled their case at London's High Court on confidential terms.

Mandy Perrin, 25, died of heart failure after suffering a blood clot on the lungs a day after giving birth to her second son, David, in November 1986.

Rodney Ledward, who has since died, was the consultant obstetrician responsible for Mrs Perrin's care at Ashford's William Harvey Hospital.

Her husband, John Perrin, of Ashford, sued East Kent Health Authority, claiming Dr Ledward failed to properly monitor his wife's treatment before and after David's Caesarean delivery.

'Slapdash' work

Liability was admitted by the health authority in July 1999.

Barrister Angus Moon expressed the health authority's "deep regret at the death of Mrs Perrin" and paid tribute to her widower for the care lavished on his sons, David and Christopher, since the tragedy.

Judge Mr Justice Buckley added his own tribute, commenting: "I can only wish him and his family all the best for the future".

Mr Ledward was struck off by the General Medical Council in 1998, while a formal inquiry chaired by Jean Ritchie QC also found that there was "something slapdash and unmethodical in his character - an element of seeing what he could get away with".

Patient complaints

But although hundreds of patients have come forward to complain about Mr Ledward since he was struck off, only a handful complained at the time about their treatment.

Mr Perrin's counsel, Simon Levene, told the judge: "This is not the only claim arising from the actions of this particular doctor".

The case came to court so long after his wife's death because Ledward's incompetence only came to light in the mid 1990's, added Mr Perrin.

Mr Ledward, 62, died of cancer in Ireland in 2000.