Claims Trends in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

1
Claims Trends in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

• Presentation by John Mead
• Technical Claims Director
• NHS Litigation Authority
• 26th April 2007

2
Clinical Negligence-Numbers of New Claims Reported
Year ELS/RHA CNST Total
2002/3 471 5,614 6,085
2003/4 336 4,168 4,504
2004/5 303 4,316 4,619
2005/6 161 4,516 4,677
3
Clinical Negligence-Total Payments per Year

• 2002/3
• 2003/4
• 2004/5
• 2005/6

• 446.2M
• 422.5M
• 502.9M
• 560.3M

4
Open Clinical Negligence Claims by Speciality,
31/3/02
5
Open Clinical Negligence Claims by Speciality,
31/3/07
6
Value of Open Clinical Negligence Claims by
Speciality, at 31/3/02
7
Value of Open Clinical Negligence Claims by
Speciality, at 31/3/07
8
Open Obstetric Claims by Cause, 31/3/07

• Cerebral Palsy
• Other Brain Damage
• Erbs Palsy
• Unnecessary Pain
• Fatality
• Additional Operation(s)
• Stillborn
• Other

• 42.7
• 11.6
• 10.3
• 4.3
• 4.1
• 3.9
• 2.2
• 20.9

9
Total Value of Open Obstetric Claims, 31/3/07

• Cerebral Palsy
• Other Brain Damage
• Erbs Palsy
• Developmental Delay
• Wrongful Birth
• Unnecessary Pain
• Other

• M
• 3,296
• 739
• 83
• 77
• 33
• 29
• 233
• 4,490

10
Open Obstetric Claims by Cause, 31/3/07

• 20.5
• 8.4
• 8.0
• 7.8
• 7.7
• 6.9
• 5.2
• 35.5

• Failure to respond to abnormal FHR
• Failure to recognise complication
• Failure to monitor 1st stage of labour
• Failure to monitor 2nd stage of labour
• Fail/Delayed Treatment
• Fail/Delayed Diagnosis
• Application of excess force
• Other

11
Open Gynaecology Claims by Injury, 31/3/07

• 24.4
• 13.9
• 6.8
• 4.9
• 4.7
• 4.7
• 4.3
• 4.0
• 32.3

• Additional/unnecessary operation
• Unnecessary pain
• Bowel damage
• Bladder damage
• Psychiatric/psychological damage
• Infertility
• Unwanted pregnancy
• Cancer
• Other

12
Value of Open Gynaecology Claims, 31/3/07

• 16.9
• 16.5
• 10.0
• 7.6
• 7.1
• 4.4
• 4.3
• 3.9
• 29.3

• Brain damage
• Additional/unnecessary operation
• Bowel damage
• Cancer
• Unnecessary pain
• Fatality
• Wrongful birth
• Bladder damage

13
Number of Open Gynaecology Claims, by Cause, at
31/3/07

• 21.6
• 15.8
• 13.9
• 8.1
• 4.9
• 4.5
• 3.0
• 28.2

• Intra-operative problems
• Failure/delayed diagnosis
• Failure/delayed treatment
• Failure to recognise complication
• Failed sterilisation
• Failure to obtain consent
• Inappropriate treatment
• Others

14
Number of New Obstetric Gynaecological claims
received by year since 2001/02
NHSLA Notification Year Gynaecology Obstetrics
2001/02 610 1,303
2002/03 552 1,148
2003/04 391 907
2004/05 338 827
2005/06 325 801
2006/07 274 705
Total 2,490 5,691
15
Amounts paid out on Obstetric Gynaecological
Claims by Year
Payment Year Total Paid on Obstetric Claims M. Total Paid on Gynaecology Claims M.
2001/02 429 32.9
2002/03 226 12.5
2003/04 163 16.3
2004/05 243 14.9
2005/06 259 13.8
2006/07 272 15.2
Total 1,592 105.6