AQW 37489/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Health

To ask the Minister of Health to detail the amount of the medical negligence settlement expenditure paid by Health and Social Care Trusts (i) in 2024-25, totalling over £69 million; and (ii) in 2023-24, totalling over £41 million, related to cases where liability was accepted.

Asked by Danny Donnelly MLA on 5 January 2026

  • Answered
  • Written
Tabled
5 January 2026
Answer due by
20 January 2026
Answered
20 January 202615 days after tabling
Department
Department of Health
Priority question
No

Answer

Medical Negligence claims are managed by the Department of Legal Services (DLS) within the Business Services Organisation on behalf of HSC organisations.

Expenditure figures for medical negligence settlements include payments both in cases where liability was formally accepted and in cases where no admission of liability was made.

However, as analysis of whether liability is formally accepted or where no admission of liability was made is not captured in the current DLS database, it is not possible to provide details of the amount of medical negligence settlement expenditure paid by Health and Social Care Trusts related to cases where liability was accepted in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Official sources