Total NHS liabilities for medical negligence hit £60 billion
NHS liabilities attributed to rising number of claims and spiralling legal fees
- The NHS's total liabilities for medical negligence have reached £60 billion, marking a quadrupling since 2006-07.
- This significant increase is primarily due to a rising number of claims, higher payouts per claim and spiralling legal fees.
- Legal costs for claimants have surged, with those for low-value claims often vastly exceeding the damages awarded to patients.
- High-value cases, particularly those concerning brain injury from poor maternity care, constitute 68 per cent of all costs despite representing only 2 per cent of claims.
- The National Audit Office recommends improving the NHS's response to complaints and reviewing the existing approach to legal costs to mitigate the projected substantial growth in these liabilities.