A RISE in payouts to hospital patients who suffered botched treatment has been blamed by health bosses on the spread of the compensation culture.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust paid £15,547,743 in negligence damages in 2013/14, as well as defence costs of £1,002,509 and claimant costs of £2,733,260.
The figure is up on the year before, although health bosses say settlements often relate to cases that have taken several years to resolve
In 2012/13, £6.6 million in damages was paid plus costs of £3,325,474, compared to £2.9m in damages and £1,648,040 in costs in 2008/9.
Kevin Turner, deputy chief executive of ULHT, said his trust paid a contribution each year to NHS litigation officials to deal with such cases.
He said: “There is a rising trend of compensation claims nationally.
“The £17m in litigation cases is not taken out of the trust’s frontline budget to provide patient care.”
Unexplained hospital deaths, negligent childbirth and misdiagnosis of life-threatening illnesses can all lead to claims.
ULHT, which runs Grantham Hospital as well as Lincoln County land Boston Pilgrim, previously paid out £42,356,481 between 2008/9 and 2012/13 for negligence cases.
The figures are supplied by the NHS Litigation Authority, which settles claims for NHS trusts, which pay into a fund.
For the first time this year, pay outs by GP-led clinical commissioning groups, which plan and buy community health services, planned hospital and urgent and emergency care, are also included.
There were no damages or costs paid by South West Lincolnshire or South Lincolnshire.
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