NHS negligence payouts top £1bn

The NHS paid out a record £1.7bn in damages for medical negligence last year, with doctors’ representatives warning of an urgent need to cap costs. The figures from NHS Resolution show almost £700,000 was spent on lawyers.

Peter Walsh, chief executive of charity Action against Medical Accidents, said the NHS was spending too much on litigation, because it was failing to improve its safety record, and spending too much fighting cases it should not defend. Errors during childbirth account for 50% of the value of claims, despite a recent focus on helping midwives and doctors work better together