£100m negligence bill for NHS Wales

Administrative errors cost more than surgical ones

Costs of clinical negligence claims against the NHS in Wales have soared by 400% in four years to more than £100m.

In a report published on Friday, the Auditor General for Wales said the organisation must do more to reduce the cost and suffering it causes.

There are currently 1,600 outstanding cases against the NHS in Wales.

It is estimated that it will cost £107m to settle the cases.

Last year, NHS trusts in Wales paid out £27m to settle claims.

Call for improvements

Solicitors working in the field say the figures show there has been a shift in the way we perceive the NHS.

The National Audit Office has said that administrative errors rather than mistakes on the operating table, account for a third of all cases.

Lack of basic information about cases prevents local hospital managers and the NHS generally having a clear view of the problem.

The NAO has now called for more trusts to improve their risk management standards and keep the level of claims down.