MEDICO LEGAL M A G A Z I N E
MEDICO -LEGAL NEWS: By Lisa Cheyne, Medico-Legal Manager, SpecialistInfo
The Department of Health launched: Introducing Fixed Recoverable Costs in Lower Value Clinical Negligence Claims - A Consultation.
A round-up of news in the industry this first quarter of 2017, with links to further information.
The consultation, launched on Monday 30 January 2017, aims to seek views on proposal for a mandatory system of fixed recoverable costs for lower value clinical negligence claims in England and Wales.
NHS Litigation Authority launches mediation service The NHS LA launched its new mediation service last December with the announcement of its panel following a public tender. The service follows a successful pilot and has been designed to support injured claimants, their families and healthcare staff in working together towards resolution without the need to go to court. The contracts have been awarded to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), Trust Mediation, and Costs Alternative Dispute Resolution (CADR) for an initial period of two years. Helen Vernon, Chief Executive of the NHS Litigation Authority says: “Mediation is an excellent forum for dispute resolution and provides injured patients and their families with an opportunity for faceto-face explanations and apologies when things go wrong and reducing the need for unnecessary litigation.” Visit www.nhsla.nhs.uk for more information.
Sp o n s o re d by:
The proposed fixed recoverable costs scheme aims to improve the efficiency and costeffectiveness of clinical negligence claims by supporting: •
quicker and more cost effective resolution for all parties
•
greater opportunities for early learning of lessons from harmful incidents to inform safer clinical practice
•
access to justice for those claimants bringing clinical negligence claims of a low monetary value, but complex nature
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patients’ access to justice by streamlining the system and incentivising earlier resolution of such claims
The consultation closes at 11:45pm on 1 May 2017. More information can be found on the www.gov.uk website on the GOV.UK Fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence claims webpage.
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