The Government has announced a new compensation scheme for parents in England whose children have been injured at birth.
‘Rapid Resolution and Redress’ will investigate the ‘avoidable’ 500 cases of birth injury per year in England, and is being introduced with the intention of allowing medical staff to speak more openly about failings in maternity care and address complaints more quickly.
It is thought that the NHS spent more than £500m over the past year in defending legal disputes after mistakes by maternity staff, with the average case taking around 11 years to resolve.
At present England has one of the worst records for stillbirths, with more than 7 out of every 1,000 babies being stillborn or dying soon afterwards.
This new scheme is just one of many measures being introduced by the Health Secretary over the coming years, with a view to improving the safety of maternity care and support the Government’s target of halving stillbirths and neonatal deaths by 2030. Others include £8m towards training and additional funds towards piloting new ideas for maternity care, plus a move towards a national quality improvement programme for all maternity units.
It is encouraging to see that the Government are addressing these issues within the NHS. Here at Farleys we have worked closely with families who have been through the harrowing experience of stillbirth and therefore we understand what an important and urgent issue it is to address and improve patient safety for others. Better training, safer staffing levels and more robust procedures could help reduce the risk of these issues.
Whether you have been treated within the private sector or the NHS, Farleys can help you to claim compensation for the pain, suffering and any financial loss you have incurred as a result. We understand that pursuing a claim relating to birth can be extremely upsetting and our expert solicitors will guide you every step of the way; helping you to secure the compensation you deserve. For a free initial claim assessment contact Farleys Solicitors on 0845 287 0939 or alternatively please complete an online enquiry form.