Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much has been disbursed by the NHS in relation to medical negligence claims in the last five years.

NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of the National Health Service in England.

The following table shows NHS Resolution spending on clinical negligence as managed through the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) for the last five years.

Notes:

1. The spending figures only cover spending specifically attributed to clinical negligence, principally pay-outs pertaining to CNST as managed by NHS Resolution plus associated administration costs, claimant legal and defence legal costs.
2. The figures are for the NHS in England only and do not include any unrecorded costs, for example staff employed by trusts to deal with claims.
3. The figures do not include the cost of clinical negligence claims in primary care as primary care funding includes an unspecified element for indemnity premia.
4. The figures do not include clinical negligence pay-outs relating to Department-funded indemnity schemes in respect of legacy bodies such as primary care trusts and strategic or regional health authorities.