Released 1 August 2022
Request:
Under Freedom of Information laws, can you please disclose the following:
- The number of claims for damages you have received where the treatment giving rise to the claim came from a private contractor.
Can you please provide data from January 2017 onwards – providing an annual breakdown - The number of claims which resulted in damages being awarded to the claimant – providing an annual breakdown from January 2017 to June 2022 (or the latest available figures)
- The amount the Trust paid out in damages for each claim – providing an annual breakdown from January 2017 to June 2022 (or the latest available figures)
- In each case where damages were awarded, can you please provide the particulars of the claim, namely:
- the procedure being carried out at the time
- the error(s) that gave rise to the claim
- the name of the location where the procedure was carried out (i.e. The Royal Liverpool hospital) stating whether it was NHS or privately owned at the time
- the name of the private contractor involved and the occupation of the medic adjudged to have made the error(s) that led to the claim
- the age and sex of the successful claimant
- Finally, can you please disclose the number of claims you have received for inhouse (non-private) care, for how many you paid damages and the amount paid out for each claim – providing an annual breakdown from January 2017 to June 2022 (or the latest available figures).
Information disclosed:
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2021, with the merger of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Both legacy Trusts and University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust have been members of the NHS Resolution (formerly NHS Litigation Authority) Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) over the years relevant to your request.
NHS Resolution manage clinical negligence claims on behalf of NHS organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England who are members of NHS Resolution schemes. Payments for clinical negligence claims are paid directly by NHS Resolution. All Trusts’ claims data is collated and published online in Resolution factsheets
On the basis that NHS Resolution process these compensation claims, the Trust would only hold partial information relevant to such claims and therefore cannot provide comprehensive information in response to your request. It is therefore appropriate in these circumstances that you contact NHS Resolution directly for the information you are seeking.