Year on year statistical costs comparison against the NHS for medical negligence claims
The NHS offers a crucial health service in the UK and for the most part, it’s reliable. However, there are times when things do go wrong.
Each year, thousands of negligence claims are made against the NHS. Here, we’ll look at the costs of these claims and how they compare year upon year. You’ll also discover what to do if you feel you’ve been let down by the system.
Year upon year costs of medical negligence claims
In The period 2018 to 2019, the NHS received 10,678 new negligence claims. This is a 0.8% increase from the 2017 to 2018 period which saw 10,673 new claims.
Although claims have increased, the costs have reduced. There has been an increase in the number of successful defence claims, alongside a reduction in claimant costs. This means the payments for the NHS haven’t risen as much as the organisation previously anticipated.
In 2018-2019, the NHS’s contributions to the CNST totalled £1,984 million. In 2019-2020, this dropped by 1.9% to £1.947 million. Although reductions in costs have been achieved, predictions point to a rise in the coming years due to an increase in settlement cases.
What improvements are being made?
The NHS is working hard to improve its service and reduce negligence cases. In its maternity sector, which sees the biggest costs of claims made against the organisation, they are now looking to halve the number of neonatal and maternal deaths. They are also looking to carry out liability investigations much earlier.
The organisation is also providing clearer reports into the improvements it is making. It is using data to help learn from negligence claims.
How are medical negligence claims handled?
When a patient feels they have been treated poorly by the NHS, there is a complaints procedure to follow before making a clinical negligence claim. You should speak directly to the hospital or healthcare practitioner who handled your treatment. There will also be a professionals within the hospital who are specifically there to handle negligence claims you can talk to. If the issue cannot be resolved directly and there is proof of negligence, a solicitor can help.
Medical negligence claims can be complex, which is why it is important to seek help from an experienced solicitor. They will be able to take care of the legalities, increasing your chances of getting the compensation you deserve. Many also operate on a no-win, no-fee basis.
