Surge in medical malpractice claims confirmed
Medicolegal claims against the state have doubled, from R37bn to R74bn, over the past five years, further eroding Covid-affected healthcare and threatening specialities.
Insurance premiums against adverse events in obstetrics and gynaecology and neurosurgery now surpass R1m a year.
Specialists in these disciplines, especially obstetricians, are seeking less litigious climes, retiring early or consulting to related medical fields.
Contributing to medical inflation are unnecessary diagnostic and screening tests that are done as defences against litigation.
The R74bn figure came to light after the national Health Department was asked by the Financial Mail to update SA Medical Journal reports of 2016 that the accumulated public sector medical litigation bill stood at R37bn.
Nicholas Crisp, deputy DG in the department, said a team of lawyers has been working full-time on bringing the quantum down.
It is done through, among other measures, the early adoption of suggestions in the latest SA Law Reform Commission draft report on medical litigation.
Crisp’s department is urgently workshopping the 500-page report, which has a deadline of 31 January for final submissions.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
