Clinical negligence payments in England reached £2.9bn in 2023-24, up from £2.6bn the previous year. This represents 1.7% of the entire NHS budget and is fueling calls for reform in NHS litigation. Surgeon and former Labour health minister Ara Darzi’s review of the NHS highlighted this as an urgent issue. The number of formal complaints has almost doubled in the past decade, from 14,615 in 2011-12 to 28,780 in 2023-24. The cost of claims in obstetrics is rising rapidly. The increase in payments is drawing attention to the need for changes to reduce clinical negligence and litigation costs in the healthcare system.
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Calls for system reform as clinical negligence payouts in England climb to £2.9bn
