Gynaecology payouts in Lancs cost NHS a whopping £6.4m new data reveals

Data obtained by Medical Negligence Assist has revealed that Lancashire and Cumbria NHS Trusts have settled more than 55 medical negligence claims related to gynaecology care since 2019 but the number of claims and incidents reported is far higher.

The findings come amid a striking new report from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) which revealed that women are being left in ‘debilitating’ pain for years with more than 760,0000 on the waiting list for appointments due to a gynaecology care ‘crisis.’

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Experts are now calling for extra funding to speed up treatment for the more than three-quarters of a million women currently on waiting lists.

It has been revealed that since 2019, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has paid out more than £3m settling 24 gynaecology medical negligence claims - the highest amount out of all Trusts in the region.

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However, in the last five years, Blackpool Trust has had a total 45 claims and incidents of gynaecology-related medical negligence claims reported to NHS Resolution - the legal arm of the NHS.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has forked out a further £1.5 m in damages settling 13 claims of medical negligence related to gynaecology care in its facilities.

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Since 2019, it has had 33 claims and incidents in total reported to NHS Resolution.

Other Trusts included East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust which settled seven claims costing a total of £870,252 and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust with 14 claims amounting to £1,006,790.

The investigation also uncovered the most common primary injuries and causes of claims which included failure to act on abnormal test results, failed sterilisation and intraoperative problems - which are complications that affect patients during surgery.

The data revealed that across the NHS, 3,739 gynaecology medical negligence claims and incidents have been reported to NHS Resolution since 2019.

Of those, 1,337 claims were made by women or on behalf of women for ‘unnecessary pain’ as well as a further 740 for ‘additional or unnecessary operations.’

There were also 151 claims lodged against NHS Trust with ‘cancer’ listed as the primary injury sustained as a result of gynaecology-related medical negligence as well as 143 more claims for ‘bowel damage and/or dysfunction.’

Dr Ranee Thakar, President of the RCOG said: “A way forward is urgently needed to tackle the UK gynaecology crisis… NHS staff are also deeply concerned and distressed that they do not have the necessary resources to deliver good care, affecting their own well-being.

“UK government must act now.”

All Trusts have been approached for comment.