NHS Resolution, the operating name of NHS Litigation Authority, is an arm's length body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It changed its name in April 2017.

NHS Resolution
Agency overview
FormedOctober 1995
TypeSpecial Health Authority
JurisdictionEngland
StatusActive
HeadquartersLondon
Employees578 (in 2023, full time equivalent)[1]
Annual budget£52m (operating expenditure) (2022/23)[1]
Agency executives
  • Sally Cheshire, Chair
  • Helen Vernon, Chief Executive
Parent departmentDepartment of Health and Social Care
Websiteresolution.nhs.uk

The organisation's purpose is to provide expertise to the NHS on resolving concerns fairly, share learning for improvement and preserve resources for patient care.

History edit

The NHS Litigation Authority was established in 1995 as a special health authority.[2] Its current duties are established under the National Health Service Act 2006.[3] It began using the name NHS Resolution in April 2017, reflecting a change of role to "the early settlement of cases, learning from what goes wrong and the prevention of errors" according to Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health.[4]

Services edit

NHS Resolution's strategic plan Delivering fair resolution and learning from harm, published in 2017 and updated in 2019, outlined a shift in emphasis away from predominantly claim management to proactive, earlier interventions to support families and staff.[5]

The services provided include:

  • Claims management, for clinical and non-clinical claims
  • A tribunal service for primary care contracting disputes
  • Advice and support regarding concerns about the individual performance of doctors, dentists and pharmacists
  • Support to the NHS to aid understanding of claims risk, to assist patient safety activity.[5]

Claims management edit

In September 2023, NHS Resolution's annual report for 2022/23 stated that payments for clinical negligence in the NHS was £2.7bn of which 64% by value related to obstetric claims.[6]

List of Chairs edit

Helen Vernon has been chief executive since 2014.[13]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23" (PDF). NHS Resolution. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  2. ^ "NHS Litigation Authority: Who we are and what we do" (PDF). NHS Litigation Authority. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  3. ^ "NHS Litigation Authority: Report and accounts 2012/13" (PDF). NHS Litigation Authority. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  4. ^ Dugdale, Mark (22 March 2017). "NHS Litigation Authority to be renamed NHS Resolution". Claims Media. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Our refreshed 2019 to 2022 strategic plan" (PDF). NHS Resolution. September 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  6. ^ Kirby, Jane (5 September 2023). "Payments for clinical negligence in NHS rise to almost £2.7bn". The Independent. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Ins and outs". The Guardian. 7 February 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  8. ^ Rozenberg, Joshua (11 October 2007). "Law: Dame Joan opens the secret NHS door". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  9. ^ "NHS Litigation Authority: Report and accounts 2013/14" (PDF). NHS Future Focused Finance. p. 9. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Martin Thomas joins NHS Resolution as new Chair". NHS Resolution. 5 January 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. ^ "Chair of NHS Resolution". Cabinet Office. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  12. ^ a b "New Chair appointed for NHS Resolution". NHS Resolution. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Whitehall, Public Sector and Regulatory". Legal Business. 8 April 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2021.

External links edit