Litigation Trends in Vascular Surgery in the UK: A Retrospective Analysis of NHS Resolution Data and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

IF 1.6 4区医学 Q3 PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE

Annals of vascular surgery Pub Date : 2025-09-03 DOI:10.1016/j.avsg.2025.08.039

Porya Hassan Abadi , Behrad Barmayehvar , Andrew Thompson , Kaji Sritharan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Vascular surgery (VS) is a high-risk specialty, with complex procedures and multimorbid patients. Medicolegal claims offer insight into recurring clinical vulnerabilities. We aimed to analyze litigation trends in VS over the past decade in England and the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A retrospective review of VS-related claims submitted to NHS Resolution between 2014/15 and 2023/24 was conducted following a Freedom of Information request. The trends in claim volumes, alleged causes, injuries, and costs were analyzed.

Results

A total of 1,288 claims were reviewed; 814 resulted in damages costing £205 million. The most common causes for claims were failure/delay in treatment (427 claims; 36.6%), failure/delay in diagnosis (138 claims; 10.7%), and inappropriate treatment (84 claims; 6.5%). Lower limb amputation was the most frequent injury (436 claims; 33.8%), followed by fatality (174 claims; 13.5%). Litigation costs rose in the post-COVID-19 pandemic years (2019–24) compared to prepandemic (2014–19) by 30.8% (£88 to £116 million), with a 33% and 50% increase in claims related to delays in diagnosis (59–79) and delays in performing operations (20 to 30), respectively. Average cost per closed claim was £239,680 in 2014/15, peaking at £386,038 in 2021/22 and closing at £174,922 in 2023/24.

Conclusion

Treatment delays and amputations account for the majority of VS claims. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing systemic pressures, contributing to rising costs. Targeted efforts to improve time to treatment, documentation, and communication are essential to reducing litigations. Ongoing review of litigation data could help inform policy and enhance outcomes.

查看原文本刊更多论文

英国血管外科的诉讼趋势：对NHS决议数据和COVID-19大流行影响的回顾性分析

目的：血管外科（VS）是一个高风险的专科，手术复杂，患者多病。医学法律索赔提供了对反复出现的临床脆弱性的洞察。我们的目的是分析过去十年英国VS的诉讼趋势，以及COVID-19大流行的潜在影响。方法：根据信息自由要求，对2014/15年至2023/24年期间提交NHS决议的vs相关索赔进行回顾性审查。分析了索赔量、声称的原因、伤害和费用的趋势。结果：共审查了1,288件索赔要求；814造成的损失达2.05亿英镑。最常见的索赔原因是治疗失败/延误（427起索赔，占36.6%），诊断失败/延误（138起索赔，占10.7%）和治疗不当（84起索赔，占6.5%）。下肢截肢是最常见的伤害（436起索赔，33.8%），其次是死亡（174起索赔，13.5%）。与大流行前（2014-19年）相比，2019-24年的诉讼成本上升了30.8%（8800万英镑至1.16亿英镑），其中与诊断延误（59至79）和手术延误（20至30）相关的索赔分别增加了33%和50%。2014/15年度，每宗已结案索赔的平均成本为239,680英镑，2021/22年度达到386,038英镑的峰值，2023/24年度为174,922英镑。结论：治疗延误和截肢占VS索赔的大部分。2019冠状病毒病大流行加剧了原有的系统性压力，导致成本上升。有针对性地努力改善治疗时间、文件和沟通对减少诉讼至关重要。对诉讼数据的持续审查有助于为政策提供信息并提高结果。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Annals of vascular surgery 医学-外科

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

13.30%

发文量

603

审稿时长

50 days

期刊介绍： Annals of Vascular Surgery, published eight times a year, invites original manuscripts reporting clinical and experimental work in vascular surgery for peer review. Articles may be submitted for the following sections of the journal: Clinical Research (reports of clinical series, new drug or medical device trials) Basic Science Research (new investigations, experimental work) Case Reports (reports on a limited series of patients) General Reviews (scholarly review of the existing literature on a relevant topic) Developments in Endovascular and Endoscopic Surgery Selected Techniques (technical maneuvers) Historical Notes (interesting vignettes from the early days of vascular surgery) Editorials/Correspondence