§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost of compensation paid by the NHS to employees who have been injured at work was in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [138179]
§ Mr. HuttonPersonal injury cover for national health service employees is provided by trusts' and primary care trusts' membership of the Liabilities to Third Parties Scheme, a non-clinical risk pooling scheme operated by the NHS Litigation Authority. This was introduced in April 1999 as an alternative to purchasing commercial insurance for non-clinical risks. The table shows the total amount of compensation claims paid in each year since April 1999. Information on claims prior to 1999 is not available.
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Total amount of compensation claims paid in each year since April 1999 Number of claims handled Compensation paid(£) 1999–2000 810 2.4 million 2000–01 1,839 5.3 million 2001–02 2,435 3.9 million 2002–03 2,450 1.1 million 2003–04 1,572 43,000 These figures do not represent the full cost of compensation claims, however, as many small claims which fall under the standard excess of £10,000 are handled directly by NHS trusts and information on these is not reported.