A Bradford hospital trust paid out more than £12.6 million due to medical negligence in a year, new figures reveal.
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust dealt with 156 claims between July 2022 and July 2023.
The total sum paid out of £12,612,678 may relate to claims made before this period.
Out of 469 complaints lodged against the trust, 33.2 per cent related to issues with care or treatment.
The trust - which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary and St. Luke’s Hospital - said it is "committed to making sure we learn from our mistakes".
It comes after NHS Resolution, which handles medical negligence claims on behalf of NHS Trusts, revealed that negligence payments had risen by 9.9 per cent from 2021/22 to 2022/23.
A spokesperson for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The vast majority of the people we treat every year at Bradford Teaching Hospitals experience high quality, safe care. We are committed to making sure that we learn from our mistakes, and that we share that learning across the organisation.”
NHS Resolution did not wish to comment when approached by the Telegraph & Argus.
The data was released following a Freedom of Information request made by medical negligence claims specialists, LegalExpert.co.uk.
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.
Nick Banks, head of medical negligence at JF Law (which owns the Legal Expert brand), warned that the consequences of medical negligence can be “devastating”.
Mr Banks 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.
“Whilst 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.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel