Bedfordshire NHS Trust pays out over £20m to birth injury claims since 2020
With many maternity care services across the country being classed as failing, the number of claims related to birth injuries has skyrocketed.
Figures obtained by Medical Negligence Assist have found that since 2020, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has had to pay out over £20 million to patients who have lodged claims related to birth injuries.
NHS trusts across the country have experienced record levels of legal claims made against them for maternity failings in recent years, after botched care has led to hundreds of babies and women dying or suffering life-altering conditions.
In June of this year, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, ordered a national investigation into “failing” services for women and babies, which classed as many as two-thirds of 131 NHS maternity units as inadequate or requires improvement.
Gareth Lloyd, a medical negligence solicitor for legal firm JF Law, said: “The NHS routinely pays out millions of pounds in compensation every year for entirely avoidable injuries suffered by both mother and baby as a result of substandard maternity care.
“If a baby is not delivered correctly, the nature of these injuries can often be life-changing, affecting not only the child but the entire family.”
From 2020 to 2025, 77 claims regarding birth injuries were lodged against Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, 39 of which were settled.
The highest number of claims made against the trust came in 2024/25, with a total of 20.
Medical Negligence Assist – which offers support to patients who have suffered harm due to substandard maternity care – obtained figures on how much the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust has paid out to birth injury claims since 2020.
Over the past five years, the trust has paid out a total of £24,185,011, with the highest amount being £17,452,115 in the 2024/25 financial year.
The most common birth injury assigned to claims made against the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust was fatalities, with seven claims, followed by unnecessary pain, which was the cause of six claims.
Speaking to Medical Negligence Assist, Gareth Lloyd said: “In recent years, there has been a litany of scandals involving poor maternity care across the country, and sadly, in my professional experience, I have seen too many cases where both baby and mother have suffered avoidable harm.
“While pursuing a birth injury claim can be emotionally difficult, it's important to hold healthcare providers accountable and ensure families receive the long-term support their child will need.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said it had inherited “an unacceptable situation where too many families are suffering from botched care” and the NHS is “paying billions for its mistakes, rather than fixing them”.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust declined to comment.