Warnings over possible privatisation of NHS compensation fund
Written on January 25, 2012 – 2:57 pm | by admin
The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued a warning over proposals which may lead to the privatisation of the NHS Litigation Authority, which pays out legal fees and compensation claims in medical negligence cases in which the NHS is involved.
Documents received under the Freedom of Information act show that the government last year drew up a “business assessment” to look into an alternative to the current “service delivery model”. The Confederation of British Industry has suggested that the authority be joined with a venture partner, who could provide some new investment as well as increased access to markets.
However, the BMA says that privatisation would run the risk of masking the worst aspects of healthcare in the USA which has seen cases where surgeons do not take up jobs in some of the more risky areas such as obstetrics. Mark Porter, chair of the consultants committee at the BMA, said that it was important to keep in mind that medical procedures can include risks which can never be completely eradicated. He said that no individual doctor or single hospital should bear the cost of a tragedy and this was why there was the need for an NHS-wide insurance scheme for doctors and patients alike.
Tags: claims, compensation, medical negligence, NHS