Author: Hannah Winearls

Clinical Negligence Team

Simon Brennan

Senior Associate

Romilly Houghton

Director

Lucy Smith

Senior Associate

Hannah Winearls

Trainee Solicitor

Hollie Morgan

Solicitor

Patient Safety in 2024: The Financial and Human Cost of Medical Errors

In a recent report produced by Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation and commissioned by the charity Patient Safety Watch, it has been revealed that the NHS spends an alarming £14.7 billion annually on treating patients harmed by medical errors.

The report found that the safety of patient care has significantly declined over the past two years, with 820 preventable deaths from errors occurring annually as a result.

Additionally, the report uncovers a stark regional disparity in patient safety across England, with the north-east experiencing double the rate of death and disability due to medical negligence compared to London.

The authors of the report include Professor Lord Ara Darzi, surgeon and former health minister renowned for his work focused on improving patient care and safety in healthcare systems.

According to Darzi, there has been “alarming declines” in 12 out of 22 key metrics of patient safety in England since 2022. One of the most concerning areas is maternity care, where there has been a troubling rise in stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and maternal deaths during childbirth, with Black women disproportionately affected.

Darzi has called for “immediate action” from NHS leadership and government ministers to address worsening maternity care. The Royal College of Midwives attributes this decline to staff shortages, particularly a lack of specialist midwives. This issue is frequently identified by other organisations as contributing to poorer experiences for women during pregnancy, labour, and post-birth.

The report also found that:

  • International Performance Gap: The NHS is falling behind top-performing OECD countries in addressing deaths from treatable conditions, such as sepsis and blood clots. If the NHS performed at the level of the top 10% of OECD nations, 13,495 fewer preventable deaths would occur annually, compared to the 12,675 preventable deaths currently seen in England.
  • Increased Hospital Infections: The rate of Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections in hospitals has surged by 54% between 2018-19 and 2023-24, indicating a concerning decline in infection control practices.
  • Regional Disparities in Patient Safety: The north of England has the highest proportion of NHS Trusts with a greater-than-expected number of patient deaths, a figure that has increased from 8% to 14% in the past two years. In addition, the north-east of England experiences rates of adverse medical effects (death and disability caused by treatment) that are twice as high as in London.

The report concludes that addressing patient safety within the NHS is not only a moral obligation but also an urgent financial necessity. The spiralling costs of unsafe care are exacerbating the financial strain on the NHS, making it clear that improvements in patient safety are crucial not just for ethical reasons, but to manage escalating healthcare expenses.

The harsh reality is that patients continue to suffer harm despite the availability of known strategies and interventions – many of which have already been successfully implemented in other healthcare settings. This highlights a significant gap in the NHS’s ability to adopt and apply these effective measures, leading to preventable patient harm and unnecessary costs.

The report suggests that, with better implementation of proven safety strategies, many of these negative outcomes could be avoided, both improving patient care and reducing financial burdens on the system. To support the long-term improvement of patient safety in England therefore, the report recommends that:

  1. Local NHS organisations be supported to adopt evidence-based interventions to tackle common patient safety issues causing significant harm, such as pressure sores and patient falls. The goal is to create a system whereby NHS organisations do not have to develop their own solutions from scratch, but instead have access to a repository of proven interventions, along with the necessary support to implement them.
  2. National organisations agree on a focused set of patient safety improvement priorities for the entire system to rally around. The report highlights the current issue of a “crowded landscape of patient safety bodies” and “an opaque process for setting national priorities,” which leads to a lack of clear direction and the inability to keep up with the volume of recommendations. The report envisions a future where both patients and healthcare workers collaborate in developing these priorities, and national organisations streamline their activities to ensure effective support for the NHS in improving safety.

The authors hope that these recommendations will be incorporated into the NHS 10-Year Plan and the Dash Review of patient safety organisations, providing a more coherent and actionable approach to improving patient safety across the system.

How can Irvings Law help you?

Here at Irvings, we have a dedicated team of specialist medical negligence solicitors who would be happy to discuss how we can help you and your

family. We will be on hand every step of the way to offer both assistance and our expertise. We will fight to secure the maximum amount of compensation needed to meet your needs.

If you are seeking free, confidential initial advice from experienced clinical negligence solicitors (on a ‘No Win, No Fee’ basis), contact Irvings Law on 0151 475 1999 or alternatively via email at Clin.Neg@IrvingsLaw.com.

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