§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases have been lost, and with what value of damages and costs, by regional health authorities in England as a result of medical accidents in each year since 1980.
§ Mr. FreemanThis information is not held centrally. Health authorities are required to notify the Department of all compensation payments in excess of £100,000 made as a result of court orders or out of court settlements.
The following awards/settlements resulting from medical accidents by National Health Service region were notified in each of the financial years 1980–81 to 1988–89.
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Year and region Amount of award/ settlement £ 1980–81 North East Thames 240,000 Oxford 160,000 1981–82 — 1982–83 North East Thames 195,000 1983–84 South West Thames 250,000 Wessex 534,000 Mersey 160,000 1984–85 North West Thames 220,760 North East Thames 235,000
Year and region Amount of award/ settlement £ 1985–86 Yorkshire 385,000 Trent 270,000 Wessex 275,000 West Midlands 250,000 1986–87 Trent 115,000 130,000 375,000 East Anglian 151,222 600,000 South West Thames 150,498 Wessex 175,000 Oxford 550,000 West Midlands 175,000 260,000 North Western 207,000 1987–88 North East Thames 430,000 South Western 350,000 Mersey 375,000 1988–89 Trent 625,000 North East Thames 1535,000
NHS staff1 in post at 30 September 1987 Hospital consultants—cardiology Physiological measurement technicians—cardiology Region whole-time2 equivalent WTE per 100,000 population3 whole-time2 equivalent WTE per 100,000 population3 Northern 8 0.3 49 1.6 Yorkshire 7 0.2 80 2.2 Trent 6 0.1 137 2.9 East Anglia 3 0.1 23 1.1 North West Thames 8 0.2 60 1.7 North East Thames 7 0.2 59 1.6 South East Thames 11 0.3 26 0.7 South West Thames 6 0.2 37 1.2 Wessex 5 0.2 24 0.8 Oxford 6 0.2 14 0.6 South Western 1 0.0 40 1.2 West Midlands 9 0.2 102 2.0 Mersey 8 0.3 86 3.6 North Western 12 0.3 111 2.8 England total4 116 0.2 876 1.8 Source: Department of Health (SMI3) annual censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower and the Office of Population Censuses and Survery. 1 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff, including locums and agency locum staff. 2 Figures rounded to the nearest whole-time equivalent but unrounded figures used for calculations. 3 Based on mid-1987 population estimates. 4 England totals include staff employed in London post graduate special health authorities.