NHS Medical Negligence Claims Statistics 2024/2025: National & Essex Data

• 424 new medical negligence claims received – a 20.5% increase from 2023/2024
• £97.5m was paid in damages across clinical claims – an 18% increase from 2023/2024 figures (£82.6m)
• 36+ obstetrics (birth injury) claims received valued for a combined £48.1m – a 34% increase from 2023/24 figures (£35.8m)

*This is gathered from NHS Resolution data on the following NHS Trusts: Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust.

According to the latest NHS Resolution Annual Report & Accounts, the NHS received 14,428 claims requests nationwide in the 2024/2025 financial year. For perspective, this is equivalent to nearly 40 claims received per day.

This is a 4.7% increase from 2023/2024’s figures, and marks the latest in a longer trend of medical negligence claims growing since 2006/2007.

However, while this number appears large, it pales in comparison to the estimated 353 million primary care appointments with local GP practices in 2023/2024. This reassures us that incidents of medical negligence remain a rarity, albeit one that has consistently grown in the last two decades.

How does national claims data compare to Essex claims data?

To compare medical negligence claims data in Essex with national figures, we have compiled the data from four Essex-based NHS Trusts:

• Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
• Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
• The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

According to this data, these Essex-based trusts accounted for 424 claims received in 2024/2025 – approximately 3% of the total claims nationwide across 134 NHS Trusts.

This represented a 5.7% rise in the number of claims compared to 2023/2024 figures, and a 22.9% increase on 2022/2023. Consequently, we can see that the growth rate of clinical claims in Essex is slightly greater than the national rate, but not by enough to suggest that Essex NHS Trusts are more prone to errors. 

Our own experience as solicitors in Essex tells a slightly different story. In 2024, we received 979 claims requests from prospective claimants – a 17% growth on 2023’s figures. Our number of accepted cases saw a similar increase.

Fundamentally, both NHS Resolution data and our local data in Essex demonstrate that more medical negligence claims are being made every year. This puts more emphasis on choosing a specialist law firm to represent your case. 

With more claims being pursued, there is a higher threshold for cases to be accepted. Working with an experienced solicitor, like our experts at Gadsby Wicks, makes it more likely your claim is accepted and recovers the compensation you deserve.

NHS Resolution states that a total of £3.09 billion was paid against all NHS clinical negligence schemes in 2024/2025, with £2.29 billion representing compensation paid to the claimants.

This was a near 10% rise over 2023/2024 figures. However, this also takes into account that there was an 8% increase in the number of clinical claims closed with damages awarded. Nonetheless, it suggests that there has been a slight increase in the overall value of claims, and a greater proportion of high-value claims.

Looking more closely, obstetrics (birth injury) claims are the most “valuable” type of claim, accounting for a substantial 52.5% of the value of claims received in 2024/2025. For comparison, the next largest specialty, emergency medicine, represented just 7.1%.

The national data aligns closely with our medical negligence claims data in Essex, where over the past five years our estimated case value has totalled £107,983,000.

Although birth injury claims have accounted for just 6% of all claims we have managed since 2021, they represent over 44% of the estimated case value in this period.

This is not hugely surprising. In our 30 years of exclusive experience in medical negligence, birth injury claims are typically the most complex cases, and claimants will usually require lifelong care and treatment, such as claims involving Cerebral Palsy.

However, our local data demonstrate a more diverse spread of compensation awarded than NHS Resolution’s national statistics, with delayed diagnosis or treatment representing 27% of our estimated case value between 2021 and 2025.

The main takeaway from this is that the total cost of clinical negligence is on the rise alongside the number of claims, and that cases with the most significant, long-term repercussions (such as birth injury claims) typically attract the largest amounts of compensation.

In 2024/2025, 54% of clinical negligence claims pursued closed with compensation (damages) awarded to the claimant. This is a slight increase from 52% in 2023/2024, but the figure has remained largely consistent for several years.

This data is crucial as it highlights the importance of being represented by an experienced, specialist medical negligence solicitor or firm. 

With just over half of all claims received by NHS Resolution resulting in payouts to the claimant, working with a trusted expert is essential to ensure that your claim is investigated to the level necessary to prove your case and recover compensation.

Based on our 30+ years of experience in medical negligence claims, we can confidently say that many claims that do not secure damages are led by less experienced or generalist solicitors. We never pursue a claim that we are not confident we can win for our client.

Furthermore, this also demonstrates the value of choosing a “no win, no fee” medical negligence solicitor. Claims that do not result in compensation still generate legal costs. A “no win, no fee” or Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) ensures you are never in any financial risk regardless of the outcome of your case.

At Gadsby Wicks, our claim funding options all guarantee that you will pay nothing unless your claim is successful.

The national and local medical negligence claims collected above are more than numbers. They highlight trends at the heart of our sector and illuminate risk areas for patients in Essex and nationwide. 

So, what can we take away from the data above?

• The volume of medical negligence claims is rising both nationally and locally, putting more scrutiny on the quality and validity of claims
• Medical negligence compensation is also rising, but is more prone to fluctuation due to the unique circumstances behind every claim
• Nationally, birth injuries are among the most common types of claims, but our local data suggests they are gradually becoming less frequent in the Essex area
• Delayed diagnosis and treatment are consistently the most common cause of medical negligence, according to our claims data in Essex
• Just over half of all claims received by NHS Resolution are successful, stressing the importance of building a strong case and “no win, no fee” agreements
• More cases are being settled outside of court nationwide, meaning less stressful experiences for claimants

Using our 30+ years of medical negligence experience, we strongly believe that current trends relating to the number and value of claims – both nationally and here in Essex – have put more emphasis than ever on choosing the right solicitor to represent your case.

With the rising number and cost of medical negligence working against industry efforts to cut the cost of harm (such as the introduction of fixed recoverable costs), it is very possible that the thresholds for claims to be accepted will increase to attempt to find a balance.

This could mean that perfectly valid claims do not receive the compensation and justice they deserve if the evidence presented or the overall case is not deemed strong enough.

By choosing a true medical negligence specialist with a long track record of successful claims and a finger on the pulse of the latest data and trends, your claim has a much greater chance of achieving a successful outcome.

• NHS Resolution Annual Report and Accounts 2024/2025
• NHS Resolution Annual Report and Accounts 2023/2024
• NHS Resolution Annual Report and Accounts 2022/2023
• NHS Resolution Annual Report and Accounts 2021/2022
• NHS Resolution Annual Report and Accounts 2020/2021
• NHS Resolution Annual Statistics
• Clinical Negligence: What’s Changing? (The Law Society)
• Managing the Costs of Medical Negligence Claims (APIL)
• NHS facing ‘absolutely shocking’ £27bn bill for maternity failings in England (The Guardian)
• Delayed Diagnosis, Wrong Diagnosis, Failed or Delayed Treatment and Failed to Perform Test Statistics (NHS Resolution)
• Activity in the NHS (The King’s Fund)
• Obstetrics Claims 2018/2019 - 2023/2024 (NHS Resolution)
• Medication Errors 2017-2025 (NHS Resolution)
• 237+ million medication errors made every year in England (BMJ Group)
• Gadsby Wicks internal claims data 2021-2025