The figures were included in a report presented to the trust’s board on Wednesday, October 28, covering the second quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.
The report said 14 of the claims related to Southport and Ormskirk, while none concerned community services.
The 34 claims followed 31 in the previous quarter, which the report described as an increase above usual numbers.
Sixteen claims were received in July, 12 in August and six in September.
The report stated: “This would appear to be a sustained increase”.
It added that, unlike the previous quarter, claims received during the latest three-month period were not evenly distributed.
Failure or delay in diagnosis and failure or delay in treatment were identified as the largest causes of claims.
However, no single speciality accounted for more than five claims during the quarter.
In the previous quarter, trauma and orthopaedics accounted for seven claims, while emergency departments accounted for six.
The report also found that 47 per cent of claims had no previous investigation.
It said all claims that had not been investigated at all were reviewed by the trust’s Claims Governance Group to determine whether an investigation should take place.
The August claims were reviewed on October 21, although the outcome was not available when the report was written.
Claims relating to September were due to be reviewed on November 18.
The trust closed 21 claims during the quarter, 11 of which concluded without a payment to claimants.
Of the 10 claims closed with payments, the report said no learning had been specifically identified as a result of the claims process.
It added: “There are often occasions where claims are settled on a litigation risk basis, even where the Trust has not formally accepted fault.”
The report also noted that the dates of incidents leading to claims could differ significantly from the dates when the claims were formally notified.
It said the trust was required to report all letters of claim to NHS Resolution, “irrespective of potential merit”.
The figures relate to claims across the trust’s services and do not establish that negligence occurred in any individual case.
The report did not provide a separate breakdown of claims between Whiston Hospital and St Helens Hospital.
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides hospital and community healthcare services, including at Whiston Hospital and St Helens Hospital.
A Trust spokesperson said: “The Trust is required to report all claims to NHS Resolution, but this does not mean they will be upheld or result in compensation.
“As these claims remain ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further. The Trust takes all claims seriously and reviews each one carefully to identify any learning that could help improve patient care.”