Clinical negligence payouts 'to rise in England'
Added (2009-Feb-11)
Compensation payments over cases of clinical negligence are to rise significantly next year in England, it has been suggested.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that the NHS has set aside around 80 per cent more for such payments next year than it had done for this year.
They indicate that trusts have earmarked £713 million to cover costs. This represents an increase from this year's figure of around £400 million.
Each winter, the NHS Litigation Authority collects money from health trusts to cover expected clinical negligence payouts.
The authority was established by the government in 1995 to deal with the rising number of claims being made in cases of alleged negligent behaviour by doctors, nurses, physicians, surgeons and other healthcare workers operating in the NHS.
Head of the organisation Steve Walker said: "The proportion of successful claims has gone up and is rising," the BBC reports.
Please Call Me Back