Lawyer sues for £1.5million after NHS blunder left her infertile

But the NHS Trust’s lawyers claim Sarah Marquis, 41, deserves only £300,000 because children would have hampered her career, reducing her earnings.

Ms Marquis said yesterday her dream of starting a family was ruined when staff at Homerton Hospital, east London, failed to notice she needed an emergency operation to remove her appendix.

The High Court in London heard she was “rendered infertile” when her appendix burst.

The Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has admitted liability.

The trust’s barrister, Bradley Martin, apologised to Ms Marquis in court as she took the witness stand.

But he insisted that her wish for a family would have overridden her desire to progress in her career.

Had she become pregnant, childcare would have affected her working life, he argued.

Ms Marquis, who specialised in white collar crime, said: “I don’t think that means I would have written off my career.”

She said that, as well as blighting her hopes of having a family, the blunder forced her to take three and a half years off work, ruining her chances of fulfilling her career potential.

Judge Robert Owen, QC, heard that Ms Marquis, of Hackney, east London, was admitted to the hospital after going to her GP complaining of abdominal pain in October 2008.

However, no emergency action was taken for three days before surgeons determined that she needed her appendix removed.

By that time the organ had burst, causing a grave abdominal infection.

That ended her hopes of naturally conceiving a child with her partner of over a decade.

Cara Guthrie, her counsel, said: “Had it not been for the negligence of the defendants, Ms Marquis’ appendix would not have perforated.”

Ms Marquis has since had IVF treatment in a bid to get pregnant.

The hearing continues.