Counting the cost of negligence in neurosurgery: Lessons to be learned from 10 years of claims in the NHS *

AbstractIntroduction. Despite substantial progress in modernising neurosurgery, the specialty still tops the list of medico-legal claims. Understanding the factors associated with negligence claims is vital if we are to identify areas of underperformance and subsequently improve patient safety. Here we provide data on trends in neurosurgical negligence claims over a 10-year period in England. Methods. We used data provided by the National Health Service Litigation Authority to analyse negligence claims related to neurosurgery from the financial years 2002/2003 to 2011/2012. Using the abstracts provided, we extracted information pertaining to the underlying pathology, injury severity, nature of misadventure and claim value. Results. Over the 10-year period, the annual number of claims increased significantly. In total, there were 794 negligence claims (range 50–117/year); of the 613 closed cases, 405 (66.1%) were successful. The total cost related to claims during the 10 years was £65.7 million, with a mea...