Soaring NHS negligence bills set to double, says watchdog

SPIRALLING NHS negligence bills are set to double in less than five years, and could get even worse amid lengthening hospital waiting times, watchdogs have warned. The National Audit Office (NAO) said soaring numbers of claims, especially the most costly ones caused by maternity blunders, are fuelling record compensation spending.

Its report shows the number of claims has doubled in a decade, and has reached more than 10,000 cases a year.

Over the same period, legal costs have soared amid the rise in “no-win no-fee” agreements. Figures show claimants’ legal costs have risen by 533 per cent, outstripping a 316 per cent rise in damages. The watchdog criticised the length of time spent disputing cases, which adds to costs. It now takes 426 days for the average claim to be settled, the report says – an increase from 300 days six years ago, with every extra day adding £40 to costs.

It highlighted a sharp rise in spending on maternity blunders which left babies brain-damaged – with a 350 per cent rise in damages over the last decade. The NAO said lengthening waiting times could increase the risks of future claims, from patients whose diagnosis or treatment is delayed.

Waiting lists are now the highest they have been for a decade, with a 76 per cent rise in the numbers waiting more than 18 weeks for treatment over the last two years. The Government has drawn up plans which attempt to limit NHS legal costs, including fixed legal costs for cases worth £25,000.

But the NAO said the proposals would only save £90 million, which Meg Hillier, the chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, described as a “drop in the ocean” compared with the £3.2 billion annual bill which is forecast for 2021. A Government spokesman said: “Clinical negligence costs are too high, which is why are we are taking action across government to drive these costs down.”