Striking a balance: The professional viewpoint Post date: 21/12/2017 | Time to read article: 1 mins The information within this article was correct at the time of publishing. Last updated 14/02/2019 Striking a balance In this video MPS’s medicolegal experts talk about today’s litigious society, and how this impacts on doctors and the way they practise. Key points: In 2016/2017, the NHS spent £1.7bn on clinical negligence claims The NHS will need £65bn for future clinical negligence costs, for claims arising from incidents that have already occurred We live in a litigious society and there is more in the media about litigation and successful suing Complainants often choose to pursue a claim instead of or as well as a complaint Almost 90% of the public is concerned about the financial pressures currently facing the NHS An increasingly litigious society also impacts on healthcare professionals 88% of MPS members are increasingly fearful of being sued For more than 70% of MPS members this fear has caused stress and anxiety and has impacted on their confidence in how they deal with patients 84% of MPS’s GP members have ordered more tests or made more referrals due to the fear of being sued Practising more defensively doesn’t always lead to improvements in medical practice; unnecessary tests or investigations are not in the best interests of patients and may use up limited NHS resources Share this article Share Tweet