Botched Births Cost British NHS Billions in Litigation

Good to know when planning where not to give birth

Junior doctors and midwives are missing serious complications in women giving birth and are failing to call in senior staff leading to 'staggering' litigation costs of £3.1bn over the last ten years, a report has warned.

Senior staff and consultants must be available on the labour wards 24 hours a day in order to supervise junior doctors and midwives and reduce mistakes, said the report from the NHS Litgiation Authority.

The authority released data on medical negligence claims made in relation to mistakes in births between 2000 and 2010 and found that 'junior doctors and inexperienced midwives were often involved…without adequate assistance from senior clinicians'.