Medical negligence claims make up 'very small' proportion of cases, says Manx Care 

Health minister reveals 25 claims lodged against health body since 2021

Manx Care says medical negligence claims make up a 'very small' percentage of the hundreds of thousands of individual instances of care it delivers each year.

It's as new figures show there have been 25 claims lodged against the health body since its inception.

Between 2021 and the end of the 2023-24 financial year, just under £4.9 million has been spent on medical indemnity payments.

The data has been published in response to separate Tynwald Questions for Written Answer.

Douglas North MGK John Wannenburgh asked the Health and Social Care Minister whether Manx Care holds adequate medical malpractice insurance cover; what the annual cost of cover is; and whether any claims have been made since Manx Care was established.

Minister Claire Christian says the government self-insure against clinical negligence claims, and any settlements come from the government’s medical indemnity fund.

The budget for that is published in the pink book each year and latterly the audited accounts.

The minister also confirms, since the inception of Manx Care on 1 April 2021, there have been 25 clinical negligence claims received. 

This figure does not include letters before action, and it does not include any other types of claims such as employee liability claims.

In a separate question, Rushen MHK Juan Watterson asked the minister to provide the total amount spent on medical indemnity payments over the last three years by medical specialism.

Whilst Manx Care doesn't split medical indemnity claims by specialism, Minister Christian has provided the cost per each financial year.

Between 2021-2022 £1,912,746 was spent, £1,122,728 for 2022-23, and £1,859,322 between 2023-24. The figures for 2024-25 haven't been published.

Manx Care says: 'Negligence claims form a very small proportion of both the number of incidents and complaints reported to Manx Care every year, and the hundreds of thousands of individual instances of care that we deliver every year. There are many factors influencing the reasons why individuals bring claims against Manx Care, including factors in the legal market. There can also be a significant lapse of time, in some cases a number of years, between incidents happening and claims being received, investigated, and settled.

'Manx Care unequivocally supports clinical staff being open and transparent, and wherever there is a claim for compensation it must be investigated. It is always our intention to resolve issues as quickly as possible to avoid distress to individuals and families and try wherever possible to avoid the need to involve the courts.'