New figures requested by the Liberal Democrats from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) and published recently show that over 3,000 patients have died because of errors by NHS staff over the past year. Hospitals reported 3,645 deaths in 2007/08 from patient safety incidents and include those relating to problems with scans and hospital infections. This explains why medical negligence compensation claims are also on the increase.

This represents a 60% increase in the last two years. However, experts involved with the health authorities put this increase down to better reporting and not a deterioration in patient care. But many of the incidents that make up the statistics are events that appear on the 'never events' list of categories drawn up by the NPSA. 'Never events' are defined as errors in medical care that are clearly identifiable, preventable, and serious in their consequences for patients, and that indicate a real problem in the safety and credibility of a health care facility. These include errors in assessment, diagnosis and incorrect treatment, the spread of controllable and preventable infections such as MRSA and other superbugs and patients self-harming or committing suicide whilst under the supervision of medical staff.

The NPSA relies on hospitals being candid with their figures and admitting where errors have been made. This is crucial to the prevention of these errors being repeated and to stop more unnecessary deaths occurring within the NHS. The organisation has seen the number of reported errors rise by 50% in the last two years to over 800,000 a year. Most of these errors cause no direct harm to patients, but the ones that do can often have serious and even fatal consequences.

Preventable deaths such as these are often the trigger for a compensation claim for medical negligence brought by the families of victims. In these cases, they are not just looking for financial compensation but also the assurance that the health trusts involved will learn from their errors and put in place measures to prevent others from falling victim to the same mistakes. In this way, the NHS can be forced to re-evaluate their duty of care manifesto and to make fundamental changes that can prevent others from suffering the same fate.

Medical negligence compensation claims are notoriously complex and difficult, so a specialist solicitor is an essential first port of call in the event of action being taken. Not only do they have a detailed knowledge of the law surrounding such claims, but also have access to expert witnesses whose testimony may be essential for a claim to be successful. Medical negligence compensation claims have to be brought within three years of the date of the incident, although if the incident involves a child the period is much longer. Many who bring medical negligence claims don't just want compensation; they want answers too. The only way to ensure that a medical negligence claim succeeds if you want to sue the NHS is to employ the services of an experienced solicitor. They will be able to guide the family through the minefield of medical negligence law in what is bound to be a very traumatic period.

The only way to bring down the alarming figures released by the NPSA is to ensure that every case is highlighted, every detail is uncovered and every error is catalogued so that the same mistake is never made again, protecting patients and their families from the horrors of medical negligence.