United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust paid out nearly £2 million to women, as NHS trusts in England splashed out almost £100 million on gynaecology-related medical negligence claims over the last five years.
Statistics, obtained by Medical Negligence Assist via freedom of information requests, uncovered the extent of taxpayers’ spending since the turn of the decade.
In total, £91,817,142 was paid out between 2020/21 and 2024/25 by 94 NHS trusts in England, although 29 of them did not hand over a single penny in compensation.
Of the 65 trusts that did settle claims, many were repeatedly hit with cases year after year – United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust among them.
Across the five-year period, the trust faced 33 gynaecological negligence claims, settling 24 at a total cost of £1,973,353 – meaning each successful claimant received an average payout of more than £82,000.
In 2020/21, United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust paid £387,613 in damages. Compensation then rose sharply in 2021/22, when payouts totalled £1,167,474 – the highest annual figure recorded by the trust during the five-year period.
No damages were paid in 2022/23 or 2023/24, despite new claims being made. However, payouts resumed in 2024/25, with the trust compensating patients a further £418,266.
Professor Colin Farquharson, Group Chief Medical Officer of the Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group which includes United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (ULTH), said:
“NHS Resolution settles litigation claims on behalf of all NHS Trusts, and any funds paid out in litigation cases are not paid by ULTH but are covered by the premium paid each year to NHS Resolution.
“While we are not able to comment on the specific detail of the claims referred to in this Freedom of Information request made to NHS Resolution, we acknowledge that any failure to provide care to the high standards we expect can impact upon our patients and their loved ones. This is why we take every opportunity to listen to those receiving our care and to learn from our mistakes, acting openly and honestly when those standards are not met.
“We remain committed to continual improvement in the care and support offered to everyone using our services.”
London’s Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust managed to keep its coffers shut.
Despite facing 44 claims spread over the five years, its lawyers fought hard against disgruntled patients – leaving each empty-handed.
While there were 29 other trusts who also refused to settle with claimants, the Chelsea-based teaching hospital palmed off the most – with County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust having denied the second-most claimants a payout – 34.
The same can’t be said for East London’s Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust – which saw the largest hike up of compensation paid out.
In 2020/21, the trust paid out £278,455. Fast-forward four years, that figure rose to an eye-watering £2,466,521 – an increase of 8.8 times.
The data uncovers the true extent of medical negligence in the service, and now solicitor Gareth LLoyd, head of medical negligence at JF Law, has urged the Labour government to intervene.
He said: “The figures paint a distressing time for women. As the data shows, negligence in gynaecological care can lead to serious injuries such as infertility, bladder and bowel problems, which can throw people’s lives upside down.
“With the Labour government promising to tackle problems within the NHS, this £100 million compensation bill should prompt them to take a hard look at gynaecology and to put an effective plan in place to tackle the issues and raise the standard of care.”
The primary injury claimants filed nationally was that of ‘unnecessary pain’ – with 418 having been recorded in the last five years, while notably, there were 62 people who sought damages for ‘infertility’.
While the damages paid out by NHS trusts in England in its most recent figures on record were almost £2 million less compared to those handed out in 2023/24, it came during a time of widespread strikes at the service.
In 2020/21, £17,782,455 was paid out, with £18,777,210 handed out in 2021/22, a further £18,013,131 in 2022/23, £19,565,601 in 2023/24 and 2024/25 saw patients be compensated £17,678,745.
In total there were 150 cancer-related claims – 62 of which were tragically filed by women who caught their cancer in advanced stages due to the negligence of NHS trusts in England.
The figures follow a recent survey carried out by researchers at Imperial College London that found that gynaecologists and obstetricians recorded high-levels of burnout since 2020.
The World Health Organisation recognise ‘burnout’ as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ and results in workers feeling exhausted and if left unchecked, it can lead to a lack of empathy and compassion towards patients.
The 2022 survey found that out of the 1,114 doctors who participated, 72% met the criteria for burnout.
Medical Negligence Assist offers expert legal support and advice to those affected by gynaecology negligence. You can book a free consultation or call their 24-hour helpline by visiting their website.
https://www.medicalnegligenceassist.co.uk/medical-negligence-claims/gynaecology-negligence-claims
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