NHS NHS compensation payouts 'unsustainable', say health leaders Rising cost of payments diverting funds away from frontline care, justice secretary told The NHS spent £1.7bn on negligence claims last year, say the group. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PAPayouts given to NHS patients who have been victims of negligence should be reduced because they are “unsustainable”, health service leaders have told the justice secretary. The rising cost of payouts is diverting significant amounts of funding away from frontline patient care, they said in a letter seen by the Guardian. The health and social care secretary, Jeremy Hunt, was also copied into the letter, which was sent on Monday. The change meant compensation payments in personal injury cases where there is an element of future care costs and earnings significantly increased.

Source: The Guardian February 02, 2018 00:22 UTC