As much spent on Maternity Compensation as Maternity Care

[RedToothBrush]

Ockenden also highlights a "startling statistic", that says clinical negligence is costing the NHS almost the same in legal compensation - as it spends on the delivery of maternity care itself.

This is how little women matter in political terms.

This isn't just a reflection of the NHS. It's in terms of how our society values having children.

It says everything.

Ok, that makes sense, thanks. Still not sure why you thought the comparison was totally made up, or a joke? I hold no brief for the Guardian but this does seem to stack up as a large amount.

I was contradicting the disinformation posted that

Someone once told me the nhs budget is divided equally into 3

1. NHS pensions
2. Compensation
3. The actual cost of running it.

I think it's meant to be a joke as it's so ludicrously untrue. The annual NHS budget is about £200 billion Pensions paid out cost £17 billion (for 1.2 million pensioners). About £3 billion per year is paid out in compensation. Unsurprisingly for an organisation employing 1.9 million people the major cost for the NHS is £80 billion on wages.

For some reason you linked to an article in the Guardian which neither contradicted me nor supported the disinformation that I had highlighted.

Ok, I apologise, it was crossed wires. I thought you were challenging the whole premise of the thread, not that comment.

This

Just a note on the compensation figures - obviously there's a sum paid out (£1.1bn for maternity, or thereabouts) but there's also the total cost of dealing with negligence claims, which includes paying lawyers, staff time involved in doing paperwork and so on. It's not trivial.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/oct/17/nhs-medical-negligence-liabilities-hit-60bn-amid-surge-in-maternity-payouts

Another report from Baroness Amos

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cddlgqpg7mzo

Which Donna Ockendon says will make no difference

Times so paywalled

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/donna-ockenden-baroness-amos-report-maternity-row-5kfhsm8p5

Archive ph doesn't seem to work anymore?

https://archive.ph/HB4JW