Home / Health / NHS Neglect Costs £3.6B Annually
NHS Neglect Costs £3.6B Annually
30 Jan
Summary
- Errors in NHS cost taxpayers £3.6bn annually, MPs report.
- Inaction on 24 years of warnings led to patient harm.
- Government liability for negligence quadrupled to £60bn.
Influential MPs have strongly criticized the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, stating that 24 years of ignored warnings have led to escalating medical errors that cost £3.6 billion annually. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found that "any meaningful action" has not been taken to address the issue.
This ongoing neglect has caused significant patient harm and driven up the government's liability for clinical negligence. As of 2024-25, this liability reached a record £60 billion, quadrupling in real terms since 2006-07.
The PAC report specifically cited "unacceptable stasis" in maternity care as an example of inaction, despite multiple inquiries into scandals since 2015. The committee stressed that the NHS is overwhelmed by recommendations from various bodies to improve patient safety.
MPs urged the NHS to be more open with patients when errors occur and to apologize sooner. They also called for an overhaul of the "confusing and unresponsive" complaints system to reduce claims and costs, promoting a more compassionate approach.
Globally, the UK ranked 21st out of 38 OECD countries for patient safety, with concerns raised about neonatal deaths and surgical complications.
