Curb rising NHS negligence payouts, health leaders urge

[Northerner]

Health leaders have written to Justice Secretary David Gauke urging him to reform the payout system for negligence claims against the NHS in England.

They say costs are spiralling, "unsustainable" and diverting vast amounts from frontline care.

The NHS Confederation, the British Medical Association and medical lawyers are among the signatories.

The Ministry of Justice has asked the advisory body the Civil Justice Council to look at ways to limit payments.

The annual cost of claims is said to have almost doubled since 2010.

According to the letter, the NHS in England spent £1.7bn on clinical negligence claims last year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-42913396

 

[trophywench]

Errrr? - if they are negligent they are negligent, the Courts determine the amount of damages the culprit pays and it makes no difference whether that culprit is the NHS or Prince Charles. However I daresay Charles is insured. Why aren't the NHS? Mind you, on their claims record I probably wouldn't cover em were I an underwriter.

I'm not sure that we should change the law to make the NHS less liable if they poke your eye out, than Joe Bloggs would be had he done it in the street and I'm entirely baffled that any one would consider it!

 

[mikeyB]

That’s just around 1.5% of the NHS budget. Yes it is a vast amount of itself, but this is not the way to help the NHS. I would advise the NHS to take out indemnity insurance, as doctors do. I suspect they already do, so it may not be a real figure in any event.

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

My dad sued the NHS, he had an accident and was sent home with a broken neck, which was evident on the x-ray. He was 57 and was left disabled and unable to work, if it was picked up initially he could have had a halo fitted, by leaving it the damage was irreperable, he eventually collapsed and ended up in critical care in a coma and had to have surgery. He died at 64
In short, the NHS needs to stop f'ing up and leaving people disabled or dead.

 

[Northerner]

My dad sued the NHS, he had an accident and was sent home with a broken neck, which was evident on the x-ray. He was 57 and was left disabled and unable to work, if it was picked up initially he could have had a halo fitted, by leaving it the damage was irreperable, he eventually collapsed and ended up in critical care in a coma and had to have surgery. He died at 64
In short, the NHS needs to stop f'ing up and leaving people disabled or dead.

Dreadful Very sorry to hear this Lucy

 

[Lucy Honeychurch]

Oops, sorry for the swear word 🙄

 

[mikeyB]

I don’t think anyone would mind, Lucy. Quite restrained, I thought.