The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust settled 15 claims with a combined pay-out of £1,550,128, averaging £103,341 per claimant.
In total, the trust faced 40 claims, one of 19 trusts in England to record five or more gynaecology claims each year.
The trust runs the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, Barnet Hospital in Barnet, and North Middlesex University Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield.
Total settlements were part of nearly £100 million paid out by NHS trusts across England during the same period for similar claims.
Gareth LLoyd, head of medical negligence at JF Law, said: “The figures paint a distressing time for women. As the data shows, negligence in gynaecological care can lead to serious injuries such as infertility, bladder and bowel problems, which can throw people’s lives upside down.
“With the Labour government promising to tackle problems within the NHS, this £100 million compensation bill should prompt them to take a hard look at gynaecology and to put an effective plan in place to tackle the issues and raise the standard of care.”
There was a significant drop in damages paid by the trust between 2020/21 and 2023/24, falling by 90 per cent. No payments were recorded for 2024/25, which could be down to the service’s policy in not identifying the sum paid out if less than five claimants received a fee.
Many of the cases referenced are understood to be historic. As claims can take years to resolve, they may not reflect current care or performance.
A spokesperson from the Royal Free London said: “The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is committed to providing safe, high‑quality gynaecology care for everyone who uses our services.
“The vast majority of patients have a positive experience and we are proud of the dedication of our clinical teams. When concerns are raised, we investigate thoroughly, learn from what has happened and make improvements to further strengthen the quality of our care.”
Across England, 94 NHS trusts recorded a total pay-out of £91,817,142 for gynaecology-related negligence claims from 2020/21 to 2024/25. The most common injury recorded nationally was “unnecessary pain,” with 418 cases reported, and 62 claims related to infertility.
A total of 150 cancer-related claims were recorded, including 62 involving women whose cancer was detected at an advanced stage due to negligence. The figures follow a 2022 survey by Imperial College London, which found that 72 per cent of gynaecologists and obstetricians experienced burnout.
The World Health Organisation describes burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” that leads to exhaustion and can reduce empathy and compassion among healthcare staff.