In light of ITV’s new drama Trauma, scheduled to air next week, which centres on the conflict between a father, who believes his son was killed due to medical negligence, and the doctor who treated him, The Times has taken a look at the cost of negligence claims to the NHS.
The issue has been highlighted in recent weeks with health leaders writing to David Gauke, the Justice Secretary, calling for compensation system to be reformed. This followed earlier reports that the cost of legacy claims against the NHS rose sharply in 2017.
Lime’s Nicola Fahey is quoted in the article “If the defendant put their hands up early on in proceedings, admitted their failures or wrongdoings, apologised and compensated the patient, thousands of pounds in legal fees could be saved,” she says. “Instead, after having received a very detailed letter of claim based on expert evidence, we see denials of liability and cases fought for years before they then decide to admit their wrongdoings and settle the claim.”
The full article can be read on The Times website.
