NHS: Negligence

Dan Poulter Excerpts

Tuesday 8th October 2013 Ministerial Corrections

[Andrew Bridgen]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the money set aside by the NHS to compensate patients for clinical negligence claims will be paid to lawyers representing patients.

[Official Report, 5 September 2013, Vol. 567, c. 469-70W.]

Letter of correction from Daniel Poulter:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for North West Leicestershire (Andrew Bridgen) on 5 September 2013.

The full answer given was as follows:

[Dr Poulter]

As at 31 March 2013 the National Health Service Litigation Authority has made provision for claimant solicitors' costs of £1.22 billion. This is against a total provision of £5.8 billion relating to all reported but unresolved clinical negligence claims, equating to a proportion of about 21% of the provision.

It should be emphasised that these sums do not represent a single year's costs, but a provision in the account for costs that may be paid out spread over a number of subsequent years.

The correct answer should have been:

[Dr Poulter]

As at 31 March 2013 the National Health Service Litigation Authority has made provision for claimant solicitors' costs of £607.8 million. This is against a total provision of £5.8 billion relating to all reported but unresolved clinical negligence claims, equating to a proportion of about 10.4% of the provision.

It should be emphasised that these sums do not represent a single year's costs, but a provision in the account for costs that may be paid out spread over a number of subsequent years.