Victory for Mail over ambulance chasers in NHS
AMBULANCE-chasing lawyers will be banned from working or advertising in NHS hospitals, under rules coming in next week.
The Daily Mail revealed 12 months ago that ‘no-win no-fee’ personal injury firms were being allowed to target patients inside hospitals across the country.
Some NHS trusts were even allowing legal companies to set up offices in their public concourses.
And other hospitals were being paid to allow medical negligence firms to advertise on NHS-branded information leaflets displayed in A&E units.
Now, in response to the Mail’s revelations, NHS England has changed its standard contract with hospital trusts and inserted a clause banning the practice.
Last night Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who has been campaigning on the issue since 2011, said: ‘I’m delighted we are finally taking action against these parasites – the NHS is no longer going to be feeding the monster that is devouring it. This is a victory for the NHS, for patients and for decency.’
The altered contract, which comes into force on Thursday, says trusts ‘must not enter into, extend or renew any contractual arrangement’ with any company which might lead to a legal claim against any part of the NHS.
Britain’s booming compensation culture meant the NHS spent £1.7billion on clinical negligence claims in 2016/17, with legal costs accounting for 36 per cent of the total bill.
Since 2012 hospitals have been warned in official guidance not to allow the advertising of personal injury lawyers. But because the guidance was not mandatory, it was largely ignored by NHS trusts.
Seven out of 17 NHS hospitals visited by the Mail in December 2016 had contracts either to advertise or to host personal injury law firms. Some were paid thousands of pounds to display adverts for compensation firms on official patient information leaflets in A&E units.
The NHS- branded leaflets, which give basic advice for problems such as head injuries and nose bleeds, give patients phone numbers for ‘no-win no-fee’ companies who can sue in the case of a medical blunder.
The deals prevent law firms from suing the hospitals they are contracted with. But they were not stopped from taking action against other hospitals, ambulance trusts or GP services.
The new contract closes this loophole, making it clear activity is banned that ‘might lead to the pursuit of a claim against any other provider or any commissioner of NHS services’.
The Mail’s investigation also discovered that two hospitals – Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge and Southampton General Hospital – were allowing legal firms to rent out office space in their public concourses. That will no longer be allowed under the new contract.
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust said last night that Barr Ellison solicitors, which runs a branch on the Addenbrooke’s site, no longer accepts claims against any part of the NHS, and instead provides advice ‘around making a will or buying property’. Previously Barr Ellison had been barred from suing Addenbrooke’s.
Southampton General Hospital had displayed posters in the A&E waiting room directing patients to local law firm Kiteleys Solicitors.
The posters said: ‘We can help you claim compensation. Come and see us at our office in the hospital. No win, no fee!’
Last night University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Southampton General, said: ‘We have a commercial arrangement with Kiteleys Solicitors, who provide a range of legal services which focus mainly on property and private client work. They do not accept any claims against the trust.’
‘Monster that is devouring the NHS’