The NHS's total liabilities for medical negligence have reached £60bn, driven by a surge in childbirth injury cases that cost more than £11m each on average to settle, according to a report by the National Audit Office (NAO). The sum has quadrupled from £14.4bn in 2006-07, amid rising claims and legal costs.
Maternity claims cost £11.2m each on average to settle, with 1,016 obstetrics cases involving brain damage such as cerebral palsy costing £1.6bn to settle in 2024-25. This is more than four times the next most expensive injury types, 'other' (£337m) and paediatrics (£325m).
The NAO urged NHS chiefs to do more to prevent harm. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: 'Despite progress in containing the number of clinical negligence claims in some specialities, the increasing cost of the small number of very high value claims is driving higher costs for taxpayers.'
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, chair of the Commons public accounts committee, called the £60bn bill 'astounding', noting it is the second largest liability across government after public sector pensions. The Department of Health and Social Care said the rise in costs is 'unacceptable' and pledged to overhaul safety in maternity care.
Separately, the cost of repairing NHS hospitals in England has soared to almost £16bn, a 16% rise from £13.8bn last year. NHS Providers chief executive Daniel Elkeles warned that 'critical parts of the NHS are falling to bits, literally', putting patients and staff at risk.
