Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the total budget for NHS Resolution, in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.
Information on NHSR’s revenue funding streams and planned expenditure for 2025/26 can be found in its Resolution through collaboration: 2025/26 business plan, available at the following link:
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was spent by the NHS in England on settling medical negligence claims, in 2025-26.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have interpreted this request to mean total payments spent on clinical negligence claims. NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England, and it publishes data for payments made under their clinical schemes in its Supplementary Annual Statistics, available at the following link:
https://resolution.nhs.uk/resources/annual-statistics/
The data includes the damages and legal costs paid up until 31 March 2025. The data for 2025/26 will not be available until later in 2026. Sheets 1 and 2 provide payments totals for each financial year, for clinical claims by damages value band and specialty. Payments include those raised against both claims that were closed or open at the end of each financial year.
Payments for clinical negligence claims can relate to incidents which occurred many years ago, and so payments for one claim can occur over multiple years. This may include interim payments made in any year before settlement or in the year of settlement. It may also include final compensation payments or periodical payments of damages in the year of settlement or years after settlement. It does not include future periodical payments on settled claims that are due after the end of 2024/25.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the total expenditure of the NHS on medical negligence claims in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have interpreted this request to mean total payments spent on clinical negligence claims. NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England, and it publishes data for payments made under their clinical schemes in its Supplementary Annual Statistics, available at the following link:
https://resolution.nhs.uk/resources/annual-statistics/
The data includes the damages and legal costs paid up until 31 March 2025. The data for 2025/26 will not be available until later in 2026. Sheets 1 and 2 provide payments totals for each financial year, for clinical claims by damages value band and specialty. Payments include those raised against both claims that were closed or open at the end of each financial year.
Payments for clinical negligence claims can relate to incidents which occurred many years ago, and so payments for one claim can occur over multiple years. This may include interim payments made in any year before settlement or in the year of settlement. It may also include final compensation payments or periodical payments of damages in the year of settlement or years after settlement. It does not include future periodical payments on settled claims that are due after the end of 2024/25.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the salary band for the Chief Executive of the NHS East of England, in 2026-27.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no Chief Executive for NHS East of England in the current organisational structure. Currently the members of East of England senior management team consists of regional Executive Senior Managers (ESMs).
The ESM pay framework describes the salaries of the most senior health leaders in the Department’s arm’s length bodies, the pay bands, which are based on grade, are available at the following link:
https://faq-hrss.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-23569/en-us
Regional Directors are graded at ESM3 level.
The change programme to implement the new Model Region operating model is currently underway. As part of this programme, it is proposed that the Regional Director role will be retitled as Regional Chief Executive. NHS England will respond to the consultation on this proposed change in due course.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the salary band for the recently appointed Chief Executive of the Mid & South Essex NHS Hospitals Trust, in 2026-27.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Very Senior Managers (VSM) pay framework was published in May last year and sets out the Government’s policy for senior manager remuneration. The framework aims to align the pay approach for all National Health Service organisations in England to create consistency and transparency.
The VSM framework includes pay ranges for integrated care boards (ICBs) and provider trusts, determined by population and turnover. Appointments which exceed the agreed pay thresholds and are not in line with VSM framework are submitted to the Department for approval.
The pay case for the recently appointed Chief Executive of the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Trust was approved by NHS England as it was routine case. The VSM framework outlines that the Chief Executive would be a ‘Level 1’ pay range as the overall accountable officer, with different pay bands based on organisation turnover. Based on turnover, the Mid and South Essex Hospital Trust is Band E. Further information on the minimum, operational maximum, and exception zones and can be viewed at the following link:
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework for England. I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087, which I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the annual salary of the Regional Director of NHS East of England is within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Regional Director of NHS East of England is not remunerated within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the Strategy Director of NHS East of England is remunerated with an annual salary within the maximum exception zone salary band.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Strategy Director of NHS East of England is remunerated within the maximum exception zone salary band.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the annual salary of the Chief Operating Officer of NHS East of England is within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Chief Operating Officer of NHS East of England is remunerated within the maximum exception zone salary band.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, which posts within NHS East of England are remunerated at the ESM 1 salary band.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Of the 14 roles in the ESM 1 band in NHS East of England, those that are currently filled are: