Gynaecology negligence claims cost Bolton NHS FT £3million

Data obtained by Medical Negligence Assist has revealed the trust, which runs Royal Bolton Hospital, has had 41 claims and incidents of gynaecology-related medical negligence reported to NHS Resolution, the legal arm of the NHS, since 2019. 

The findings come amid a damning 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.’ 

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

The RCOG report adds: “Gynaecology has historically been perceived as less important in wider elective recovery, and this has resulted in an increasing number of complex cases, disease progression, emergency admissions and women living in pain and distress: all of which are preventable.”

Dr Francis Andrews, medical director at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We always aim to deliver the highest possible standards of care for our patients.

“Unfortunately, there are very rare occasions where those high standards are not met. When that happens, we do everything we can to understand what went wrong so that we can learn and make any necessary improvements to the care we provide to prevent it happening again in the future.”

Medical Negligence Assist investigated the number of medical negligence claims that have been lodged against NHS Trusts in the last five years. 

It revealed that since 2019, the Bolton Trust has settled a total of 22 gynaecology negligence claims lodged against it with damages amounting to £3,360,940 - not including NHS or claimant legal costs paid.

Medical Negligence Assist’s 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.

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The findings also revealed the most common cause of claims was ‘failure to warn - informed consent’ regarding gynaecology treatment of which there were 1,324 claims and incidents across NHS Trusts in the last five years. 

These are usually instances where a patient is not made fully aware of the details and/or risks of a procedure or treatment and/or has not knowingly consented.

Since 2019, some 292 such claims have been settled with damages payouts amounting to £17.3 million. 

Claims lodged against the NHS for failure and delays in gynaecology-related diagnosis, however, have cost the health service an eye-watering £32.6 million since 2019.

In the last five years, there have been 384 claims and incidents pertaining to failure and delayed diagnosis in gynaecology.

During that time, the NHS has settled 272 such claims with damages amounting to £32, 599,324.

(Image: Medical Negligence Assist) The report by RCOG titled ‘Waiting for a way forward: Voices of women and healthcare professionals at the centre of gynaecology care crisis’ also found that 76 per cent of women on waiting lists said their mental health had worsened, while 69 per cent struggled with daily activities, including work. 

Additionally, the results of a survey of gynaecology healthcare professionals found they were “deeply concerned” for their patients, with 65 per cent of primary care and 69 per cent of secondary care clinicians reporting that clinic pressures have harmed their own health and wellbeing. 

The Royal College (ROCG) has urged the government to provide immediate support for those on waiting lists and commit to long-term funding to tackle the “systemic issues” fuelling delays.

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 wellbeing.

“The UK government must act now. The RCOG is calling on them to commit to long-term sustained funding to address the systemic issues driving waiting lists, alongside delivering an urgent support package for those currently on waiting lists. 

“The investment will not only benefit thousands of individual women but the wider economy too, because the evidence shows that healthy women are the cornerstone of healthy societies. Get it right for women and everyone benefits.”

Medical Negligence Assist offers specialist advice and support regarding mental health and psychiatry clinical negligence claims. 

Got a story? Email me at Leah.Collins@newsquest.co.uk