Northern trusts pay £25m in clinical negligence compensation

Health trusts in Merseyside and Cheshire have paid more than £25 million in compensation over 2008-09.

According to the Liverpool Daily Post, the region's medical institutions settled this amount following 294 claims over the year.

The highest individual payment equalled £5.5 million by Warrington and Halton Hospitals, while £3.9 million was awarded in an Arrowe Park Hospital law suit.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said individuals should always receive "high-quality healthcare from their NHS".

"However, if patients do not receive the treatment they should and mistakes are made, it is right they are compensated and have access to legal representation," she added.

Health Trusts are charged a premium by the NHS Litigation Authority, which is then used to cover the expenses accrued from claims.

Overall, the NHS spent more than £60 million settling clinical negligence grievances over the three-year period between 2006-07 and 2008-09, with obstetrics and gynaecology departments being responsible for over half of this.

31/03/2010 17:21