Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust one of lowest payers for gynaecology-related claims as FOI reveals NHS splashed out more than £90 million on damages

Data, obtained by Medical Negligence Assist through freedom of information requests, highlights a stark mismatch between the number of women bringing claims across South and West Yorkshire and the limited compensation ultimately paid.

Across England, NHS trusts paid £91,817,142 in gynaecology-related negligence damages between 2020/21 and 2024/25, with 94 trusts responding to FOI requests. While 29 trusts paid nothing at all, others paid out millions.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recorded 26 claims between 2020/21 and 2024/25, settling just five of them.

All compensation was paid in 2022/23, when the trust handed over £86,533 to patients harmed by substandard gynaecological care. No damages were paid in any other year, despite claims continuing to be lodged.

By comparison, NHS trusts across South and West Yorkshire faced more than 80 gynaecology negligence claims, yet settled just 19 cases, paying out a combined £576,818.

Other South and West Yorkshire Trusts

Elsewhere in the region, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust recorded the highest number of claims overall, with 34 cases, but settled just six, paying £299,224 in total. All compensation was paid in 2021/22.

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust faced 26 claims, settling seven at a cost of £187,219, all paid in 2023/24.

Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust recorded 23 claims, settling six and paying out just £90,375, all in 2022/23.

Nationally, Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was the biggest compensator - handing out £6,267,872, (6.8% of all damages).

The data uncovers the true extent of medical negligence in the service, and now solicitor Gareth LLoyd, head of medical negligence at JF Law, has urged the Labour government to intervene.

He said: “The figures paint a distressing time for women. As the data shows, negligence in gynaecological care can lead to serious injuries such as infertility, bladder and bowel problems, which can throw people's lives upside down.

“With the Labour government promising to tackle problems within the NHS, this £100 million compensation bill should prompt them to take a hard look at gynaecology and to put an effective plan in place to tackle the issues and raise the standard of care.

“More needs to be done to protect women in the UK, and for those women who suffered due to medical negligence, they deserve to be compensated.”

The primary injury claimants filed nationally was that of ‘unnecessary pain’ - with 418 having been recorded in the last five years, while notably, there were 62 people who sought damages for ‘infertility’.

While the damages paid out by NHS trusts in England in its most recent figures on record were almost £2 million less compared to those handed out in 2023/24, it came during a time of widespread strikes at the service.

In 2020/21, £17,782,455 was paid out, with £18,777,210 handed out in 2021/22, a further £18,013,131 in 2022/23, £19,565,601 in 2023/24 and 2024/25 saw patients be compensated £17,678,745.

In total there were 150 cancer-related claims - 62 of which were tragically filed by women who caught their cancer in advanced stages due to the negligence of NHS trusts in England.

The figures follow a recent survey carried out by researchers at Imperial College London that found that gynaecologists and obstetricians recorded high-levels of burnout since 2020.

The World Health Organisation recognise ‘burnout’ as an ‘occupational phenomenon’ and results in workers feeling exhausted and if left unchecked, it can lead to a lack of empathy and compassion towards patients.

The 2022 survey found that out of the 1,114 doctors who participated, 72% met the criteria for burnout.

Medical Negligence Assist offers expert legal support and advice to those affected by gynaecology negligence. You can book a free consultation or call their 24-hour helpline by visiting their website.