Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce the proportion of legal costs as a percentage of overall clinical negligence costs.

The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.

Although forecasts remain uncertain, it is likely that the costs of clinical negligence will continue to grow substantially. As the question describes, the Government Actuary’s Department forecasts that annual payments for compensation and legal costs will increase from £3.1 billion in 2024/25 to £4.1 billion by 2029/30.

As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, David Lock KC is providing expert policy advice on the rising costs of clinical negligence and how we can improve patients’ experience of claims. The review is ongoing, following initial advice to ministers and the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee reports.