Negligence claims against general practitioners have gone up 13-fold between 1989 and 1998, according to figures released last week by the Medical Protection Society, which represents 45%of the United Kingdom’s general practitioners.
In 1989, only 38 claims were launched against GP members of the MPS, compared with 500 in 1998.
Compensation awards and settlements also rose steeply: while the highest settlement in 1989 was £777000, in 1998 it was £1.7m ($2.7m).
MPS medical director John Hickey said: “All of the figures show that GPs face an ever growing risk of having to defend themselves against lawsuits.”
The biggest rise was in the number of actions that ultimately failed or were abandoned. These increased 33-fold in the period.
Dr Hickey added: “With both the reputation and the livelihood of our members to protect, money is spent on legal costs and expert opinion to defend doctors against claims, including many that are subsequently found to be spurious.
“Typically, such actions are brought on legal aid, then dropped by the plaintiffs when it becomes clear that there is no sustainable case against the GP concerned.
The MPS has spent nearly £7m over the past five years on cases that were subsequently abandoned, and this money cannot be recovered from the plaintiffs.”
Moves by the Lord Chancellor’s Department to limit legal aid for medical negligence work to law firms of proved expertise are expected to reduce the numbers of unmeritorious or badly handled claims.
Since last month, only firms with a personal injury franchise granted by the Legal Aid Board may handle such cases on legal aid.
From next August the work will be restricted to the most specialised firms: those with a clinical negligence franchise.