The NHS has been an important institution for the British public for centuries. It was formed in 1948 providing health services to the British public. Unfortunately, there are times when things go wrong, having devastating effects on those affected. Medical negligence claims UK are very serious. This is when a medical professional makes a mistake, or breaches their duty of care, having unfortunate consequences for the patient.

The NHS faces claims of medical negligence every year. In 2020/2021 there were just shy of thirteen thousand clinical claims against the NHS. This is a one hundred and thirty-three percent increase from 2006/2007 when only had just over five thousand claims. There were over four thousand claims against GPs and other specialties that are not listed under the specialty section. This was a dramatic increase in this type of medical negligence claim in the UK.

Orthopedic surgery claims skyrocketed to 1,256 claims in 2020/2021. They were the most common specialty for claims across the United Kingdom. These professionals are responsible for the treatment of sports injuries, broken bones, spinal diseases, and more. In addition to this, emergency medicine saw a rise in claims to just over one thousand. These professionals are responsible for the treatment of patients who have experienced accidents or health events that pose immediate danger.

The most expensive specialty medical negligence claim in the UK against the NHS was Obstetrics. The total cost of all the close to thirteen thousand claims across the country was around £2 billion. This is a two hundred and seventy-three percent increase from the cost of claims in 2006/2007 that were £582 million. This amount is the money awarded along with legal costs.

Sanjay Panesar, a Senior Partner at Rainer Hughes in the UK, said “Obstetrics accounted for £688 million in claims. This is the treatment provided during pregnancy and childbirth, along with the post-partum period. Most of the claims referred to injuries such as brain damage and cerebral palsy, often caused when the baby does not get enough oxygen during the birthing process.”

This was closely followed by emergency medicine with medical negligence claims of just over £200 million. These were the most expensive claims, accounting for nine percent of the total claim payouts in 2020/2021.

About Us: Rainer Hughes offers professional legal services to business and private clients in the United Kingdom. They have experience working with claimants and defendants, achieving landmark judgments. They are proactive with a high success range, they are also accredited, enabling clients to work with this firm with confidence. Rainer Hughes achieves legal excellence with very high standards and a highly competent and multi-faceted team. Some of the expertise they provide includes business start-ups, private equity, medical negligence, conveyancing, criminal litigation, and more. Full details can be found at https://rainerhughes.com.