Trusts paying the biggest premiums for safety errors

The trusts paying the highest negligence premiums as a proportion of their income have been revealed, with experts warning the “sheer costs involved in managing accidents that could be avoided” neared £3bn this year.

Several acute trusts – mainly in London and the South East – spent over 4% of their income on premium costs to insure themselves against clinical negligence, according to HSJ analysis of NHS Resolution data.

Anne Kavanagh, a medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Sadly the level of contributions made by the trusts to the CNST [Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts] is a reflection of injuries suffered by patients who have been damaged as a result of negligent care – that is care which would not be supported by any other reasonably competent practitioners.”

Paul Whiteing, CEO of Action Against Medical Accidents, added: “The CNST contribution data is a stark reminder of the sheer costs involved in managing accidents that could be avoided. This is an example of where more investment in prevention would save valuable NHS resources given £2.8bn was paid in claims last year.”

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Source: HSJ, 6 November 2024