The Newsnight survey shows that in the past year the neurosurgeons who responded dealt with a total of 272 incidents in which patients either sued or seriously threatened action. Ten years ago those same doctors had to deal with just 97 similar cases. The latest available figures show outstanding claims for victims of medical accidents totalling 3.4billion. That represents a rise of 600million on the previous year. The British Medical Association favours a system of no fault compensation under which damages can be paid to a patient without a doctor being blamed.
Headway is a charity which campaigns on behalf of people who suffer head injury.