£700 'to insure each NHS birth'
The NHS spends a fifth of its maternity services funding on insurance against malpractice, according to a report by the National Audit Office. The £482m figure equates to £700 for each natural birth.
The cost of medical negligence bills
The NHS spends the equivalent of £700 per baby on funding insurance against claims of negligence, the National Audit Office said. The average payment per claim is £277,000.
How does this compare to other negligence claims?
- £4,000 for an unnecessary scar after abdominal operation
- £100,000 for infertility
- £140,000 for blindness
- £200,000 for quadriplegia
While 1/3 of the entire NHS negligence bill goes to maternity care claims, only one in five claims is related to maternity services.
(Source: NHS Litigation Authority, data for 2012/2013)
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