One fifth of the money used by maternity services is spent covering the cost of clinical negligence claims, the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed.
In a report, the NAO found the cost of covering maternity claims amounted to £482m in 2012/13. This is the equivalent of £700 per birth.
The NAO also discovered the number of maternity claims has increased by 80% over the past five years, making up 33% of compensation payments made through the NHS Litigation Authority in 2012/13.
The report blames the lack of maternity resources, saying that more than half of obstetric units are not meeting the levels of consultant staffing as recommended by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist (RCOG).
The NAO stated the extent of litigation “highlights the importance of improving risk management and the safety of care”. Margaret Hodge, chair of the House of Commons public accounts committee, said the news was “absolutely scandalous”.
Unacceptable standards of care
Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter said: “the NHS remains one of the safest places in the world to have a baby, but on rare occasions care falls below acceptable standards and unsafe care should never be tolerated.”
If your maternity care has fallen below an acceptable standard and this has caused you or your child harm, you could be entitled to pursue legal action against the hospital responsible. This would enable you to claim compensation for the physical, emotional and financial damage this has caused.
To find out more about maternity claims, please get in touch with us today.
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