We have continued to argue that to reduce the cost to the NHS and their insurers from negligence, whilst maintaining the rights of the individual, it must start to truly learn the lessons when things go wrong.

Those injured through this type of negligence often meet a wall of silence and in most cases aggressive denial and obstruction from the lawyers acting for the NHS.

This makes it necessary for victims and their families to fight a drawn out legal battle just to get to the truth of what has happened.

Any award of compensation is not a lottery win, it is calculated to the penny.  It provides only for ongoing care and to attempt, in whatever way is possible, to enable the innocent victim to live as independent a life as possible.

We recognise the need to minimise the impact to the NHS, however, the answer is not to penalise injured patients and their families but to face up to mistakes and learn from them.

The NHS would face greater costs if victims were not compensated adequately, whilst insurers would make bigger profits, as the ongoing care costs of those injured would fall on the NHS.

For a fairer more open health system, the leaders of the NHS must stop defending the indefensible and stop these injuries from continuing to happen.