NHS negligence claims are on rise in Tayside

CASH-STRAPPED NHS Tayside has been hit with 136 medical negligence claims in three years.

The health board, which was recently bailed out by the Scottish Government, settled 21 of the claims out of court, while 44 proceeded to litigation.

Of those which reached court, 11 were settled, some at an amount more than £100,000.

A spokesperson for NHS Tayside said: “More than 35,000 surgical procedures are performed by NHS Tayside every year and these claims represent a very small number of cases.

“However, we take every incident extremely seriously and always carry out a thorough i nvestigation and implement any l essons learned. In a small number of cases, where appropriate, a compensation payment is made.”

The figures came soon after it was revealed medical negligence payments had risen to an all-time high in Scotland.

There were 251 payments across the country i n 2015/16, up 38 on the previous year and almost double the 132 made in 2010/11.

Tory MSP Bill Bowman said: “We know that incidences of clinical negligence have risen across the country. We cannot simply allow this to be brushed under the carpet.

“The statistics also show that many compensation claims that are made do not result in a payout.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said the country has one of the most transparent healthcare systems in the world and that NHS “learns constantly from care experiences that go well and those where standards falls short”.

He added: “The new duty of candour procedure in the Health Act, which comes into force next year, will further improve patient safety and rights.”