NHS paid £3.1bn in damages over 10 years for staff errors during childbirth

A report from the NHS Litigation Authority, which details the mistakes that occurred in 5,087 births in England between 2000 and 2010, has been described by maternity doctors as "staggering" and "a serious wake-up call".
It recommends that more senior maternity doctors need to be on duty more of the time in order to reduce the number of blunders, which can result in grave injury for the mother and brain damage to the baby. It often costs the NHS £6m or more to settle an action involving a brain-damaged baby, because their lifetime care needs as a result of their disability are so expensive.
The Guardian 27/10/12

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