With so many headlines circulating about the NHS at the moment, we’re going to bet that pretty soon some of these stories in the press are going to focus on medical negligence. Funding cuts and a general lack of finance are absolutely blighting the organization – yet something which is currently slipping under the radar somewhat is negligence in the industry.
As the title may have given away, this is something which is costing the NHS no less than £19 billion – and that’s every year. When you look at the volume of claims that the likes of The Medical Negligence Experts are having to contend with, it comes as no surprise. What might be surprising perhaps is the effect on the organization’s total budget – it equates to roughly 20%.
As you would expect, this is something that probably merits a government report. However, in a bid to summarize the issue succinctly, here are some of the reasons why this bill is constantly on the rise.
Claims are on the rise
Let’s start with a simple reason – there are just more claims nowadays. The fact that there were 20% more claims in 2013 in comparison to 2012 highlights how quickly this industry has developed, while if 2013 was compared to 2008 there were an incredible 80% more claims.
As such, the figures are growing – and this is the key reason behind the £19 billion.
Legal bills are astronomical
This is one of the most contentious issues right now, with a lot of politicians calling for a change in how claims are dealt with. While almost everyone has started to accept that some of these claims can total millions of pounds in some cases, a lot of debate has surrounded the amount that is actually directed to the patient.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the data available to highlight this in terms of a percentage. What we can say is that some legal bills are more than the compensation amount itself. Clearly, this is something that hikes up the final bill for the NHS, whilst the victim actually sees much less than most people really think.
Changes in procedures are making an impact
Another reason behind the increase is because of how many different types of treatment are being carried out. The rise in popularity of cosmetic surgery has opened up countless doors in relation to medical negligence; whether it’s in relation to facelifts, weight loss procedures or even breast surgery.
Put simply, there is a much higher chance of success with a cosmetic surgery claim. Patients will tend to succeed 50% of the time, which is significantly higher than the 30% figure associated with general medical claims.
Additionally, to ram home the point about the rising number of claims, cosmetic surgery is thought to be behind about 80% of the growth. When this is combined with the higher success rate, the business implications can be significant for the NHS.
