Yorkshire sees rise in medical negligence claims
December 05, 2007
Hospitals in Yorkshire have paid out £161 million in the last four years as a result of medical negligence claims, official figures have revealed.
NHS trusts in the region received more than 2,300 negligence claims since April 2003, with compensation payments rising steadily year on year. Between April 2007 and March 2007, £48 million was paid out, a 14 per cent increase on the year before.
Of the £48 million paid out last year, more than £9.1 million was needed to cover claimants' costs, while £4 million was spent on £12 million was spent on legal fees and £4 million went towards fighting claims.
Once a claim is settled, it is paid centrally by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA). Although it does not come directly out of the hospital in question's budget, all NHS trusts make annual contributions to the authority's negligence fund, based on the number of operations they carry out and the risks involved.
According to the NHSLA, the NHS paid out more than £579.3 million for clinical negligence between April 2006 and March 2007, including both damages and legal costs.