Medical negligence payouts cost the NHS trust which runs Fairfield General Hospital in Bury more than £26m in the space of a year.

A Freedom of Information request from LegalExpert.co.uk to Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust found it had 190 medical negligence claims lodged against it from April 2022 to April this year.

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A compensation amount of £26,075,860 was paid out as a result of medical negligence claims, and in the same period, 54 per cent of complaints were made against the trust relating to poor or substandard care.

Medical negligence occurs when a healthcare professional provides substandard care to a patient that falls below the standard expected of any healthcare professional.

A claim may arise if the patient subsequently suffers unnecessary or avoidable harm.

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Nick Banks, head of medical negligence at JF Law, warned that the consequences of medical negligence can be devastating.

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He said: “As well as the obvious emotional impact, injuries and bereavements can cause a bigger financial impact than many households can bear, particularly in the current cost of living crisis, when many are already struggling to make ends meet.

“While some people understandably worry that making a claim will affect front line care, the reality is that hospitals and GPs are always insured against such claims.

“As such, any damages owed are paid by the insurers, and do not affect the care other patients are receiving.”

In response to the figures, Dr Rafik Bedair, chief medical officer at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re determined to learn and improve if our care or treatment falls below the standard expected.

“We understand there may be times when a patient or service user takes steps to seek costs for medical negligence and we will always do our best to work constructively with them.”

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