Britain’s NHS has set aside roughly £60–70 billion to cover future medical negligence claims, with maternity care failures contributing significantly to rising compensation costs and raising concerns about the financial sustainability of the system
Story Highlights
- Maternity negligence claims surged 37.4% in three years, reaching record 1,392 cases in 2024
- Over 800 preventable baby deaths occurred in 2022-23 due to systemic NHS failures
- NHS has allocated £70 billion for future negligence claims, diverting resources from patient care
- More than half of England’s maternity wards rated ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’
Government Healthcare System Crumbles Under Negligence Crisis
The NHS maternity crisis exposes fundamental flaws in government-run healthcare that conservatives have long warned about. Between 2022-2024, families filed 1,503 maternity-related claims against NHS England Trusts, with 2024 alone seeing 1,392 cases. This represents a catastrophic 37.4% increase over three years, demonstrating how bureaucratic healthcare systems fail patients when accountability becomes diluted across layers of government administration.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/oct/17/nhs-medical-negligence-liabilities-hit-60bn-amid-surge-in-maternity-payouts
The Care Quality Commission’s 2023 Maternity Survey revealed that 20% of patients felt their concerns were dismissed during birth, highlighting the arrogance that often accompanies government monopolies. This dismissive attitude toward patient concerns reflects broader issues with centralized healthcare systems that prioritize bureaucratic processes over individual patient needs and rights.
Decades of Failed Government Oversight and Bureaucratic Incompetence
Despite launching the National Maternity Safety Ambition in 2015 with goals to halve brain injuries, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths by 2025, the NHS has achieved virtually no progress. Neonatal death and stillbirth rates stagnated between 2010-2022, proving that government promises and bureaucratic initiatives cannot substitute for genuine accountability and competition that drives quality improvement in private markets.
The Shrewsbury and Telford Inquiry uncovered that 201 babies and nine mothers might have survived with proper care over four decades, while the East Kent Hospitals Review concluded 45 babies could have been saved. Investigations such as the Shrewsbury and Telford Inquiry and the East Kent Review point to long-standing systemic failures in oversight and training within NHS maternity services. Experts, including Professor Sir Mike Richards who is a former CQC chief inspector, have called for deeper cultural and managerial reforms to address safety gaps
Financial Burden Threatens Healthcare System Sustainability
The NHS has earmarked £70 billion specifically for future medical negligence claims, representing a massive diversion of taxpayer funds from actual patient care to legal settlements. Analysts including Dr. John Appleby, Chief Economist at the Nuffield Trust, notes that the rising liability costs may divert resources from preventive care and staff training, limiting the system’s ability to improve safety outcomes.
https://twitter.com/AscendedYield/status/1975549001446662615
A lesser known fiscal black hole
— camilo (@AscendedYield) October 7, 2025
NHS spends more on maternity care clinical negligence claims than maternity care itself https://t.co/QaixlsBSnA pic.twitter.com/74TLR1Zzit
Over half of England’s maternity wards currently receive ratings of ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ from regulators, yet the system continues operating without the market corrections that would shut down failing private providers. Patient advocacy groups estimate over 800 baby deaths in 2022-23 could have been prevented with competent care, representing a human cost that no amount of government spending can justify.
Sources:
NHS England Birth Injuries Report 2025
Review NHS Maternity Failures – Osbornes Law
Rise in Birth Injury Compensation Claims – Coles Miller
Birth Injury Claims NHS Maternity Failures Investigation – Howells Law