Cerebral palsy - does the UK have a compensation culture?
As a result of a question from Lord Walton of Detchant to Her Majesty's Government in December 2006, The Minister of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner) provided the following figures showing the payments in the past five years for all claims against the National Heath Service where the injury was either brain damage or cerebral palsy.
Payments made over the past five years on obstetrics, obstetrics/gynaecology, community midwifery and antenatal clinic claims where the injury was either brain damage or cerebral palsy:
- 2001-02 - £320,447,750
- 2002-03 - £174,476,205
- 2003-04 - £105,608,870
- 2004-05 - £173,148,369
- 2005-06 - £188,792,357
Adrian Desmond (leading medical negligence lawyer - specialising in compensation for cerebral palsy victims)" said it is worth noting that the overall value of claims over the period has remained much the same. This is important as so many parents we speak to think that they should not sue the NHS as they may well add to a growing compensation culture that they don't want to be a part of. This is not the case. There is no such culture in the UK to be a part of."
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accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems
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