Since 2019, Barts Health NHS Trust has had to pay out over £34m to patients who have lodged claims
Barts Health NHS Trust has had to pay out over £34m to patients who have lodged claims for surgery errors since 2019.
Medical Negligence Assist obtained figures on how much Barts Health NHS Trust has paid out to successful surgical error claims since 2019.
Over the past five years, the trust has paid out a total of £34,923,485, with the highest amount coming in 2021/22 standing at £12,983,430.
Surgical errors are unexpected mistakes or accidents that occur during procedures and they are classed as ‘never events’ as they are errors that should not have happened in surgery.
These errors can have significant physical, emotional and financial consequences for patients as they may require additional treatment and suffer even more pain.
A person affected by a surgery error can often make a surgical negligence claim against the NHS, where NHS Resolution will pay for their compensation.
This is a government scheme paid for by NHS Trusts that acts as an insurance policy and pays for NHS negligence claims.
Barts Health NHS Trust operates four major hospital sites (The Royal London, St Bartholomew’s, Whipps Cross and Newham) and a number of community locations, providing healthcare to around 2.5 million people living in east London.
In 2019/2020, 44 claims were made against the trust, the highest number of claims over the past five years.
Two years later, this number decreased to 38 claims.
The service has experienced a drop in claims over the past year compared to 2022/23, with a total of 25.
Common errors can include foreign objects left in the body, such as surgical instruments and cleaning materials, as well as ‘wrong site surgery’, where patients can be put at a greater risk of infection and additional scarring.
Every year, 12,000 medicolegal claims are brought against the NHS in England at a cost of £8 billion – 6.7% of the NHS England budget. In 1,000 of these claims, the primary speciality is general surgery.
Moreover, general surgery is not the only type of surgery in which errors can occur. NHS Resolution also tracks claims for neuro, oral and maxillofacial, orthopaedic, plastic, and vascular surgeries.
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