Rise in GP negligence claims

Negligence claims against doctors increased during 2010, with the sharpest rise seen in claims against GPs - up by almost 20%, reports the Telegraph.

Figures obtained by the Telegraph from the Medical Defence Union (MDU) show that around 60% of claims related to wrong or late diagnosis, while 15% related to failure to refer to a specialist and 10% to medication errors.

According to Jill Harding, head of claims at the MDU: “While we cannot know all the reasons behind an individual patient’s decision to bring a claim after an adverse event, a factor in this increase may be the availability of ‘no win, no fee’ agreements which enable claimants to litigate with no financial risk. The current difficult economic times may also be a factor.”