AvMA response to PAC report on clinical negligence and patient safety

Published: 30 Jan 2026

Categories: Latest

AvMA welcomes the Public Accounts Committee’s report and focus on the spiralling costs of clinical negligence, particularly their acknowledgement of the distress and avoidable harm to individuals and families that those costs represent, and the Committee’s unflinching willingness to highlight the patient safety failings which underpin and exacerbate them. This report is clear: the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England have not done enough to tackle patient safety and avoidable harm in healthcare. We echo the Committee’s call for greater transparency in this area.

“Every day we support individuals as they attempt to navigate complicated, fragmentary and costly complaints and legal processes that pay little attention to their emotional wellbeing. The Committee’s calls for a clear refocus on patient safety, solid collection of useful data around avoidable harm, and an operational plan to reduce claims and introduce alternative dispute resolution could really improve the support available after avoidable harm and prevent mistakes from reoccurring. We encourage the DHSC and NHS England to accept these recommendations and recognise the value of listening and learning from the experiences of harmed patients and their families.”