Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the quality of maternity services across England and, in particular, of reports about unnecessary deaths or injuries to mothers and babies in units in Shrewsbury, Telford and Nottingham; (2) of the role played by claimant lawyers in securing justice for victims or their families; and (3) of the impact of the culture of the NHS in responding to claims in respect of such injuries and deaths.

We are taking the findings and recommendations made in independent reviews and reports into maternity services, including the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, very seriously. This includes the need to develop and sustain a culture of safety, learning, and support within the National Health Service, which has formed part of NHS England’s Three year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services. We will carefully consider the findings of the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust when it reports next year.

It is right that where people have been negligently harmed by the NHS, they are able to receive appropriate compensation. It is the role of NHS Resolution (NHSR) to manage clinical negligence claims against the NHS in England. NHSR is accountable to the Department, and its performance is subject to regular review. However, NHSR is responsible for its own management of individual claims. The Government has not made a general assessment of the role claimants lawyers play in NHS litigation claims.

NHSR has a responsibility to resolve claims promptly and fairly, and to defend unmeritorious claims to secure NHS resources. The large majority of claims, 81%, are settled without court proceedings.