Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
High-value maternity brain injury claims drive significant clinical negligence costs.
Conclusion
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 or more is a major contributing factor. Those claims relate to the most seriously harmed individuals and are often associated with brain injury suffered in maternity care.7 In 2024–25, these very-high-value claims represented 2% of all claims by volume, but the associated damages accounted for 68% of total costs. The average compensation for obstetrics claims involving cerebral palsy or brain damage in 2024–25 was £11.2 million (for claims settled with damages).8
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 7 April 2026. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗