Since 2019, nearly £4m has been paid out to a hospital trust’s patients who have lodged claims following negligence in an A&E setting.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust is among many NHS trusts across the country which have seen claims resulting in pay outs of millions in compensation over the past few years — due to diagnosis failures and inadequate nursing care among other issues.
The trust provides healthcare to around 500,000 people across Newark, Sherwood, Mansfield, Ashfield, and parts of Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.
Kings Mill Hospital. Credit: Google Maps
From 2019 to 2024, 56 claims regarding A&E negligence were closed by Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, 34 of which were settled. These claims are historical, as the process to close or settle claims takes some time.
The lowest number of claims were closed in 2020-21, when five claims previously filed against the trust were closed, and the highest was 2021-22 with 15. It also closed 14 claims in 2023-24.
Over the past five years, NHS Resolution has paid out a total of £3,935,530, for settled claims against the trust, with the highest amount being paid in 2019-20, at £2,052,022.
These figures were revealed through a Freedom of Information request submitted to NHS Resolution by Medical Negligence Assist.
A&E negligence can occur when a medical professional fails to provide care or treatment to the expected standard, and as a result, the patient can in some cases make a medical negligence claim against the NHS.
Sophie Cope, medical negligence solicitor for JF Law which owns of the Medical Negligence Assist brand, said: “The growing rate of negligence in A&E services brings into sharp focus a deeply concerning trend within our National Health Service.
“With over 6,000 claims being made against trusts in the past five years, this represents thousands of individuals who have suffered harm at a time when they were most vulnerable and seeking urgent care.
“The amount of money trusts have had to pay out in compensation reflects the severe impact these incidents have had on patients’ lives, ranging from increased periods of pain and suffering to life-changing injuries.”
Across the country, A&E services have in recent years faced staff shortages and overcrowding — and according to figures gathered by NHS Resolution, 6,488 claims against NHS Trusts across the country have been closed since 2019 for negligence regarding accident and emergency services.
Of the 6,488 claims, 4,574 were settled with NHS Resolution having to pay out a total of £608,343,606 in compensation to claimants who may have suffered a range of injuries.
The main reason for claims made against the NHS was a failed or delayed diagnosis, which was responsible for 2,224 of the claims alone, with failed or delayed treatment, failed X-Ray interpretation, inadequate nursing care, and inappropriate treatment completing the top five causes.
A spokesman for Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, there were a total of 679,754 attendances across King’s Mill Hospital’s Emergency Department and the Urgent Treatment Centre at Newark Hospital, the vast majority of whom were diagnosed and treated appropriately.
“While we work hard to maintain high standards and provide the best possible care for all our patients, unfortunately there are a very small number of occasions where incidents do occur, and where injury results from inadequate care NHS Resolution provides fair compensation. We are committed to continuously improving the quality and safety of the care that we provide and take on board learning from all incidents.”