The NHS has experienced a turbulent few years, from which we are still seeing some staggering impacts on the national healthcare system and public health. Underinvestment, a global pandemic and strike action have been dominating headlines for what seems like forever.
Attention is now being drawn to the standard of healthcare around the country and the experience of patients. Medical negligence is a serious occurrence which can have devastating consequences for individuals and families. In this article, we delve into statistics that show how negligence may be becoming more common and what it means for everyone involved.
What do the figures suggest?
Data published by Statista suggests that there were more than 15,000 clinical medical negligence claims brought against NHS England in 2021/22. This is the highest number in the last ten years, peaking following three years of a strong upward trend.
NHS figures state that 77% of claims were resolved without the need for court proceedings in the same year. In the same report, the cost of all these cases for the NHS was stated to be around £2.5 billion – a staggering figure if you consider the supposed underfunding that the NHS has been suffering from.
What is medical negligence?
Medical professionals have a duty of care to all patients and a responsibility to provide a consistent standard to everyone.
However, this isn’t always the case. Some mistakes, errors and misjudgements can cause further harm to patient health or delay proper treatment. This substandard level of care can be construed as medical negligence.
Why are claims increasing?
Claims are likely to be rising because of overall pressures on the NHS. The lasting impacts of the pandemic, years of underinvestment from the government and more recent staffing issues have undeniably made it more difficult for doctors to provide the level of care necessary in all cases.
Strike action from NHS staff is unlikely to be a direct cause of medical negligence but more symptomatic of widespread issues with working environments and processes in the system that are likely leading to reduced standards of care.
Infamous cases of NHS medical negligence
National statistics provide a general sense of the situation around the country, but each case is personal to healthcare organisations and the patients impacted.
The results of the Essex Mental Health Inquiry show that 2,000 people have died in the care of NHS organisations. The impact on those families has been significant and many have fought through legal avenues.
NHS organisations in Nottingham have been the subject of a probe into maternity care failures, with more than 1,500 cases of child bereavement or life-changing injuries being revealed. The consequences for families are overwhelming, and the impact on the NHS is significant too.
