Reports suggest fees the NHS pays to medical negligence lawyers are up by 80% compared to the previous year, which is almost four times the rise in payouts to patients involved in the cases.
The top five law firms were paid out £107.8million by the NHS cash in 2015/16 — up 49% from the previous 12 months. Leigh day’s fees however, were up a whopping 80% in a year, at £12.4million.
According to the Daily Mail, Joyce Robins, from Patient Concern, said: “How can it be right for lawyers to line their pockets at the expense of the NHS?”
The data, from the NHS Litigation Authority, stat up a very large £418million for the year, a third of the service’s £1.5billion negligence bill.
In the same period, the amount of compensation to patients with negligence claims rose by 23% from £774.4million to £950.4million.
Robins said that more must be done to halt the rise in negligence claims, adding that “If it is because lawyers are chasing ever higher fees, then we need to consider restrictions.”
Peter Walsh, from Action Against Medical Accidents, said the legal costs rose due to “the unacceptable number or mistakes” and “inappropriate denials and defence of claims that should have been recognised as valid earlier.”
He adds: “They amount to either an ignorant or cynical attack on access to justice for injured patients.”
The UK’s Department of Health insists it has taken action to limit payments to law firms.
