Medical misdiagnosis cost NHS £376 million in claims including brain damage and cancer

The NHS paid out £376,478,329 in damages and legal fees for 1,207 claims related to medical misdiagnoses according to a new Freedom of Information request to NHS Resolution by . This marks a 3.24% increase since 2019 and follows a 2023 BMJ study showing around one in 18 primary and secondary care patients are affected by medical misdiagnoses.

The most common primary injuries listed in the claims included unnecessary pain, with 183 claimants receiving a total of £16million. 113 people claimed for unnecessary or additional operations and got £18,596,328 in compensation. 108 claims were for fatalities with the primary cause being failure, delay or wrong diagnosis, garnering £24million.

However, these weren't the highest sums paid out.

£46million was paid between 21 claims relating to brain damage and a total of £23million was given to 100 claimants for cases involving advanced cancer.

Bladder damage, never damage, stroke, amputation, spinal damage and general poor outcomes, such as fractures, were also listed in the claims.

It's important to note that the term medical misdiagnosis doesn't just describe being diagnosed with the wrong condition.

It includes a range of troubling situations such as delayed diagnosis, test results being misinterpreted or the prescription of wrong medications.

Jessica Sparham, a solicitor at Patient Claim Line commented: "Some of the most common conditions like cancer are diagnosed incorrectly, as symptoms can often mimic different diseases. This means that particularly during initial visits to GPs vital diagnoses can be missed.

"While the thought of making a claim may seem stressful or time consuming, it's essential to seek compensation particularly if your misdiagnosis is likely to have long-term impacts on your quality of life, mental and physical health."

Express has contacted NHS Resolutions for comment.