"The 60bn estimate of negligence liabilities, from the National Audit Office, represents a quadrupling in less than 20 years. While some medical specialties have seen falling payouts, those in obstetrics rose. The reason why payments in such negligence cases are so high is that when babies are injured, awards must cover lifetime care needs. Grave shortcomings in maternity care are widely recognised, along with unjust disparities in outcomes for women from different socioeconomic and racial groups."
"Preventable deaths and injuries at units in Morecambe Bay, Shrewsbury and Telford, and East Kent, have been among the most shocking patient safety scandals of recent years. Investigations following these and other tragedies revealed a range of problems including poor collaboration between clinicians, weak leadership, a lack of openness and inability to learn from mistakes, inadequate staffing, and bad practice including a lack of monitoring."
Negligence liabilities for the NHS in England have surged to an estimated £60bn, largely driven by costly obstetric payouts that must cover lifetime care for injured babies. Maternity care shows widespread shortcomings and unjust disparities in outcomes across socioeconomic and racial groups. High-profile scandals revealed preventable deaths and injuries linked to poor clinical collaboration, weak leadership, lack of openness, failure to learn from mistakes, inadequate staffing, and insufficient monitoring. Despite recommendations and some data-driven improvements, a significant proportion of units remain inadequate or needing improvement, and confidence that past errors will not recur remains low.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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