MPs have pressed NHS England and NHS Resolution on what concrete steps they are taking to tackle the rising cost of clinical negligence, warning that longstanding system failures — including poor complaints handling, maternity safety issues, and slow case progression — are driving avoidable spending. Members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the focus must shift from describing the scale of the problem to delivering action.  Future liabilities for clinical negligenc

The potential for clinical negligence claimants to effectively ‘win twice’ through care awards is coming under scrutiny from parliament as a way to slash costs. The National Audit Office last month raised concerns that claimants who receive statutory funding for private health treatment as part of their compensation may access free NHS services and pocket the money. It was confirmed by health officials at the Public Accounts Committee evidence session on Thursday that this is

Hospital leaders missed 32 opportunities to act over safety concerns about a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon accused of botching children’s operations, an independent review has found.  The investigation said that failures by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust allowed Kuldeep Stohr to continue operating at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for years, putting patients at prolonged risk. Experts highlight how “actions could have been taken to reduce harm to patients”. Comp

Erica Flatley, 53, from Balby, underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung in September 2020 following a diagnosis of suspected lung cancer. It was only after the procedure that doctors confirmed the mass was caused by pneumonia, not cancer, meaning the surgery had been unnecessary. She said: “At my two-week review, the surgeon told me I was in the one percent of people who didn’t have cancer, and that it was likely to have been an infection. “I was just as s