NEW FIGURES from the NHS Litigation Authority show that pay-outs made in clinical negligence cases rose to £807m in 2008/2009.

The amount paid out was up around 20% on 2007/2008 when £661m was paid in compensation and solicitors' fees.

Last year, legal fees accounted for £143m of the £807m paid out.

Half of all clinical negligence claims involve maternity treatment according to the new figures. Errors during birth can lead to lifelong disabilities and payouts affect the amount of care needed by victims of NHS maternity failures.

I do a lot of work against maternity hospitals and only a small percentage of that work relates to brain injuries sustained following birth.

I find a lot of my work relates to mistakes caused by human carelessness.

By this, I mean incorrectly stitching tears and Caesarean wounds, leaving stitches and other materials, such as swabs inside and also failure to perform correct examinations or ignore obvious symptoms either the mother or baby may be exhibiting.

I was recently instructed by a client in relation to the birth of her son in 2005.

In pursuing the claim, I obtained the mother's medical records from a local maternity hospital which included the delivery note.

Following the birth, my client sustained a large tear and following this, a clinical incident form was completed.

I was concerned to note that the doctor performing the delivery blamed the tear on blunt scissors and, in fact, the doctor made a note that he had to use blunt scissors again and how this was a persistent issue within this trust.

It would seem from the contents of the clinical incident report form that the reviewing doctors were insinuating that this was a recurring problem which they had raised before and unfortunately had not been dealt with causing my client to sustain a serious injury during childbirth.

In February 2009, the NHS Litigation Authority predicted that premiums paid in clinical negligence cases would double next year and as a result of concerns that litigation costs are eating into valuable NHS funds, Lord Justice Jackson is currently reviewing the system. He will look at whether civil litigation fees are proportionate and the review results are set to be revealed later in 2009.

I do believe that the Government's inaction on clinical negligence legislation is not helping to reduce the cost of clinical negligence claims.

The Government have again failed to implement legislation intended to aid victims of NHS negligence and according to The Independent, the Department of Health has failed to produce the necessary secondary legislation to make the 2006 NHS Redress Act operational, while the Welsh and Scottish authorities have both set up plans to set up similar schemes.

Based on recommendations made by the Chief Medical Officer in 2003, the Act would largely eliminate the need for lawyers for claims under £20,000. It is designed to provide investigations, remedial treatment, rehabilitation and care for patients, as well as financial compensation in certain circumstances.

* Rachel is head of clinical negligence at John Pickering & Partners

I was encouraged to read in The Mersey Partnership's latest economic review that Liverpool's student population continues to grow (for a news story, click here).

As a top ten employer in the city, and the only national and international law firm with Liverpool headquarters, Hill Dickinson recognises the importance of attracting more young people to the region to ensure economic and social sustainability.

A burgeoning student population benefits the city in terms of contributing to economic growth and global connectivity.

It is vital, especially in these times of unprecedented global, technological and environmental change, that we support talent and invest in the future.

The students of today are the business leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Liverpool needs them to stimulate the economy and businesses benefit from having inspired employees to help their companies prepare for the upturn.

As Hill Dickinson approaches its 200th anniversary in 2010, investing in the future has never been so important.

We have adopted an integrated, dedicated approach to attracting, retaining and investing in the best young talent with such initiatives as the Hill Dickinson Business School and developing our graduate recruitment programme. And other Liverpool businesses are also recognising the need to increase their collaborations with universities and work as one in an effort to bolster opportunities in a tough job market.

It was therefore reassuring to recently hear the Government has joined forces with the Federation of Small Businesses to offer up to 10,000 graduate internships across the UK.

While Gordon Brown is anticipating "a whole new generation of young Britons to embrace ambition and enterprise", I'm hoping this scheme will further attract more young people to Liverpool so we can build upon our decade of growth and rise in employment.

Young people will also be attracted to a city which not only invests in them, their training and development, but which also invests heavily in key transformational sectors such as culture, media and in knowledge and low carbon economies.

In today's highly competitive global economy, the innovative use of strong and dynamic knowledge bases will ensure Liverpool is a top performer.

*Tony Wilson is senior partner at Hill Dickinson

The third in line to the throne has only started receiving the money after turning 25, it has been reported.

Mace & Jones trusts specialist Paul Bricknell said by law young people can gain access to their inheritance aged 18 but in many cases the youngster is too young to handle the cash sensibly.

"This avoids the 'chocolate factory' affect when too much, too young ends in waste.

"At 18 a parent may want their child to spend the cash on university but the child may want a car or holiday instead. Ultimately the youngster will thank the family in later years for delaying the inheritance to an age when they are old and wise enough to enjoy it and use it to good effect.

"The cash could be very important to buying a house, paying child costs or simply planning for a solid solvent financial future.

"There is no point in jeopardising this by giving the cash to a young person who could just blow it. Moreover if the trust cash is needed early the trustees have the power to approve release."

Mr Bricknell also pointed out that Harry couldn't even toast the occasion as he spent the day flying helicopters on his RAF training course. The unit's 10-hour "bottle to throttle" rule bans pilots from drinking before flying.

He continued: "There really is a good lesson here. Harry has been known as a party boy as many young people are. But his life has moved on considerably in recent years.

"His career is firmly under way and he has far more life experience. Because of his responsibilities and his career at 25 he is much better placed to manage his cash sensibly."

Harry inherited an estimated £9m from his mother's estate. He will not gain access to the full amount until he turns 30 but will now start receiving the interest - around £300,000 a year.

Diana left £12,966,022 to be split equally between Harry and his brother William, 27.
The boys each got half on turning 25 and the cash has gathered substantial interest since Diana's death in 1997.

I HAVE to 'fess up immediately and say that if you expect this blog to be about law this week, you should stop reading now.

Having said that, these blogs are only ever about law tangentially in any event so if you're a repeat customer, you must know by now what to expect.

This week, readers and fellow bloggers, I am going to unashamedly plug my rugby team - the darlings of the North West or, as we are commonly known, the Park Panthers. Grrrrr.

The sun shone, the crowds poured through the gate and the women played like a team of Martin Johnsons. Smaller, better looking Martin Johnsons of course. And with a hint of mascara. But worthy of an England cap nonetheless.*

I remain, in fact, quite breathless about the game and that's not solely due to the filthy nicotine habit.

The squad was formed, rather inauspiciously, over a few cajoling calls/texts/emails, promising an active social life and a chance of legitimate ogling of men with big thighs in short shorts.

But that inauspicious start led to greater things - firstly a meeting over drinks to assess numbers and discuss training schedules.

Then a meeting over more drinks to form a committee.

Then another meeting over drinks to discuss kit design.....you get the picture.

We must have done something right though - numbers are such we could hardly fit the full squad in team shot. Perhaps the mention of thighs was the draw.

Whatever the motivation however, in a few short months we have turned a gaggle of novices (barristers, solicitors, teachers, full-time mums) into a strongly-bonded team of skilled and enthusiastic rugger buggers who now know more about rucking and mauling than they could ever have imagined.

And I'm so proud of every one of them, as are our sponsors who (I should mention) include my own crowd, Atlantic Chambers.

Should any other female mentalists fancy a run around the park, feel free to join us - we train every Thursday at 6.30pm and every Saturday at 10.30pm at Birkenhead Park FC, Park Road North, Birkenhead.

* We lost by the way. But who cares? Go Panthers!!!!