Hospital pays out £8m in medical blunders

Almost £8 million in compensation has been awarded by one hospital for errors made by maternity staff in the last five years, it has been claimed.

According to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act, Northampton General Hospital (NGH) paid £7,950,250 due to clinical negligence in maternity cases between 2003 and 2008, the Northampton Chronicle and Echo reports.

Helen O'Shea, NGH's deputy chief executive, told the newspaper: "Although maternity claims make up only about 20 per cent of all claims received they account for over 70 per cent of moneys paid out.

"Each and every one is regrettable but they need to be considered in the context of a trust delivering over 4,500 babies per year."

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) claim the amount of compensation paid out is unsurprising given the low numbers of midwives in maternity wards across the UK.

The RCM employs over 880 practicing midwives as workplace-based stewards in hospitals across the UK, and provides medical malpractice insurance of up to £3 million in legal liability cover.