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<p>As at 31 March 2014, the National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHS LA)
estimates that it has potential liabilities of £26.1 billion, of which £25.7 billion
relates to clinical negligence. This is an increase of £3.1 billion from 31 March
201<del class="ministerial">4<ins class="ministerial">3</ins></del>, which can mainly
be attributed to a continual rise in clinical negligence claims over recent years.
There are a number of factors driving this increase, including the rise in the number
of patients cared for and in the complexity of their care; and the general rise in
litigation across a number of sectors including the NHS, driven in part by ‘no win,
no fee’ agreements. It is anticipated that the effect of the latter is likely to diminish
as a result of the Government’s Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act
of 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The Department believes the best way to reduce negligence claims
is to improve patient care and safety. In March 2014, the Secretary of State for Health
issued a call to action to make the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world
and achieve a three-year goal to halve avoidable harm and save 6,000 lives. The Sign
up to Safety campaign embodies the ambition of the NHS to build a culture of safety,
bringing together individuals and organisations with a contribution to make towards
the patient safety goal. Elements of this campaign will focus on a reduction in avoidable
harm that can lead to compensation claims. Organisations that sign up are setting
out what they will do to strengthen patient safety, including a safety improvement
plan which shows how their organisation intends to save lives and reduce harm for
patients over the next three years. The NHS Litigation Authority, which already provides
a “safety and learning service” to trusts<strong>,</strong> will support those organisations
which have patient safety improvement plans that show a likely reduction in their
higher volume, higher value claims.</p><p> </p>
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