HC Deb 31 March 1994 vol 240 c1040W
Dr. Wright

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS body had(a) the highest and (b) the lowest number of medical negligence claims against it in each year since 1990.

Dr. Mawhinney

Information about the number of claims in each financial year is collected from district health authorities, in respect of their directly managed units collectively, and from national health service trusts as they became operational in 1991, 1992 and 1993. This shows national and regional trends. Because details are not supplied for individual directly managed units, most such units have progressively become trusts, and some district health authorities have merged, meaningful comparisons between NHS bodies are not possible.

Dr. Wright

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the insurance and indemnity arrangements for NHS trusts in relation to medical negligence claims.

Dr. Mawhinney

Claims for clinical negligence against health care professionals employed by national health service trusts, occurring after the operational date of the trust, are met by the trust and recouped through prices. Arrangements exist for NHS trusts to fund the cost of a substantial settlement through a loan from the Department which has to be repaid, with interest, over several years if necessary. The proposed creation of a central fund in England to help NHS trusts is the subject of a consultative document issued earlier this month, copies of which have been placed in the Library.