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Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Costs of clinical negligence

Status: Open Opened: 10 Jul 2025 18 recommendations 9 conclusions 1 report

The PAC in its 2025 scrutiny the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) annual report and accounts 2023-24 called on government to reduce tragic incidences of patient harm. The PAC found it unacceptable that DHSC had yet to develop a plan to deal with the cost of clinical negligence claims, with so much taxpayers’ …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
64th Report - Costs of clinical negligence HC 1234 30 Jan 2026 27 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
7 Conclusion 64th Report - Costs of clinical neglige… Acknowledged

Clinical negligence costs have soared and are projected to rise further.

Clinical negligence is the second largest provision on the government balance sheet after nuclear decommissioning. Over the period 2006–07 to 2024–25, the total provision for clinical negligence increased by £45.6 billion in real terms, from £14.4 billion at 31 March 2007 to £60.0 billion at 31 March 2025. Since 2006–07, …

Government response. The government acknowledges the rising cost of clinical negligence and its impact on NHS finances, and will write to the Committee by Autumn 2026 to set out the case for change and its workplan.
HM Treasury
8 Conclusion 64th Report - Costs of clinical neglige… Acknowledged

High-value maternity brain injury claims drive significant clinical negligence costs.

NHS Resolution told us that clinical negligence is putting pressure on NHS budgets and is a significant cost to the public purse. The Department told us the reasons for the rising costs were complex. NHS Resolution explained that the increasing costs of compensation for claims of £1 million in damages …

Government response. The government will write to the Committee by Autumn 2026 to set out the case for change regarding rising clinical negligence costs and its workplan, including key milestones and likely areas of focus for reform.
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
20 Nov 2025 Elizabeth O'Mahony · Department of Health and Social Care, Helen Vernon · NHS Resolution, Professor Aidan Fowler · NHS England, Samantha Jones · Department of Health and Social Care View ↗

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
21 May 2026 From cttee Letter to the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Health and Social Care …
12 Jan 2026 To cttee Letter from the Chief Financial Officer at NHS England relating to the Committe…
15 Dec 2025 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Health and Social Car…
15 Dec 2025 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Health and Social Car…