NHS negligence claims set to exceed £50bn

The NHS Litigation Authority has warned that future negligence claims against the health service will total more than £50bn. The NHS received 5,419 claims in 2006-7, rising to 10,965 in 2015-16. During the past decade, the NHS has paid out more than £6bn in negligence claims, and in the past financial year was forced to reserve £2.28bn to pay for potential damages. In its annual report, the litigation authority calculated it would need a maximum of £56.4bn to cover its existing and future liabilities.