A joint letter from nine charities/patient organisations to Sajid Javid MP on proposals for fixed recoverable costs in clinical negligence (3 May 2022)

Summary

In this letter nine charities and patient organisations write to Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, urging him to reconsider plans to impose fixed costs on lower value clinical negligence claims. They argue that the proposals are a threat to both access to justice and patient safety.

Content

The letter calls on the Secretary of State to reconsider proposals set out in the Fixed recoverable costs in lower value clinical negligence claims consultation. It suggests that at the minimum, all fatal cases and claims by people lacking capacity should be excluded from a fixed costs regime, poor defendant behaviour must be curtailed and that any cap on legal costs must be at a level to realistically allow for involvement of accredited specialist solicitors.

The signatories of this letter are:

• Peter Walsh, Action against Medical Accidents
• Joanne Hughes, Harmed Patients Alliance
• Rachel Power, Patients Association
• Marcus Green, Action On Pre-Eclampsia
• Dr Kim Thomas, The Birth Trauma Association
• Edel Harris OBE, Royal Mencap Society
• Karen Hillyer, Erb’s Palsy Group
• Jane Plumb MBE, Group B Strep Support
• Paul Farmer CBE, Mind