How Maternity Errors Cost the NHS in Medical Negligence No Win No Fee Cases
Of the massive amount of money spent annually on compensation in medical negligence no win no fee cases, a large proportion is paying for blunders in maternity care. This is fuelling concerns amongst campaigners that not enough is being done to prevent blunders which are leading to stillbirths and the deaths of newborns.
In UK hospitals six and a half thousand babies are still born or die in neonatal care every year. Patients’ groups state that the babies themselves and their parents are being let down by the very medical staff who should be saving them. Following the massive numbers of medical negligence no win no fee cases relating to botched maternity care, some campaigners believe that 45% of these deaths could be prevented.
Currently, the NHS litigation authority spends ?700 million each year on compensation and legal fees relating to medical negligence no win no fee claims. Of this huge amount, ?300 million annually pays to compensate victims of maternity and neonatal errors.
This massive proportion is greatly concerning according to patient groups and medical negligence no win no fee lawyers. They believe that what the statistics show is a lack of learning from previous mistakes and a lack of improvement in standards of care.
Two of the most frequently cited errors, or problems, leading to the loss of babies are overdue mothers being sent home from hospital due to a lack of space or low staffing levels meaning that mothers are not adequately observed as they approach the birth. Many people are concerned that attempts to cut costs are preventing new staff being taken on, worsening the problem.
There is no denying the importance of compensation for families whose lives have been blighted by NHS blunders but legal fees are putting the NHS under enormous strain. An investment in further staff and training would surely prevent further medical errors and save money in the long run.