Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly is today publishing the Report of the Interdepartmental Working Group on the Rising Cost of Health-Related Claims.
The Group, chaired by Professor Rhona Mahony and comprised of membership from across relevant Government Departments and Agencies, was established by the Minister to examine the rising cost of health-related claims, to consider mechanisms to reduce costs and to improve the experience of the processes involved for patients.
The Report identifies six strategic priorities, which aim to reduce the requirement for litigation in healthcare and to improve the litigation process for those taking this path, as follows:
- Care for babies born with Neonatal Encephalopathy and other maternity initiatives.
- Preventing adverse events: Strategy, People and Resources.
- Enhanced response when harm occurs.
- Learning from adverse events, capturing data, and promoting key research.
- Faster and more efficient resolution of claims.
- Standardised approach to mass claims.
Each strategic priority has a corresponding set or recommendations, and in total there are 30 recommendations made.
As outlined in the Report, the primary driver of the rising cost of claims is the cost of care in a relatively small number of very serious injury claims. The majority of these claims relate to perinatal brain injury and cerebral palsy, where early intervention is key. For this reason, particular attention is given to this matter in the Report, with a stand-alone chapter dedicated to maternity care and perinatal brain injury, along with a number of key recommendations made with regard to early intervention and the development of lifelong care pathways for this group of patients.
The Group, along with examining the financial costs, placed a strong emphasis on the human cost of litigation and a key element in the Report is acknowledging the harm that is central to the decision to litigate, and ensuring that this is central to the considerations of the Group.
Welcoming the publication, Minister Donnelly said:
“Improving patient safety and minimising patient harm is an ongoing challenge for all health services and no less so in Ireland. It is hugely important to me as Minister and to all of those working in our health services. When harm does occur it is very important that we acknowledge that, learn from it and ensure that the patients impacted are well cared for in the future.
I welcome this Report as another important step and believe that it sets out a comprehensive set of recommendations, which include measures aimed at improving the civil litigation process, preventing clinical harm arising from unanticipated adverse events and providing enhanced care for those affected by harm, should an adverse event occur.
I am particularly pleased that the Group, along with examining the financial costs of claims, placed a strong emphasis on the human cost of litigation. The report acknowledges the harm that is central to the decision to litigate and ensured that this was central to the considerations of the Group.
I would like to thank Professor Mahony and the members of the Group for their dedication and commitment to this work, and for producing such a comprehensive Report in a timely manner. I intend to establish a group to ensure that the recommendations made are implemented without delay.”
