Figures indicate a rising trend in claims against Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, with the number of claims increasing from 13 in 2019/2020 to 23 in the most recent year.
The trust has paid a significant amount in compensation for these claims, with £2,543,579 paid out in 2021/22 alone.
Over the past five years, the trust has paid out a total of £7,491,147.
A spokesperson for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust said: “We carry out over 10,000 surgical processes annually at LGT, the vast majority of which are without incident.
“We work hard to maintain high standards for our patients, but there are occasions when complications regretfully arise.”
The figures, provided by Medical Negligence, form part of a wider picture of 11,700 claims made against NHS trusts across the country for surgical errors in the past five years, according to NHS Resolution.
Of these, 8,753 claims were settled.
The most common causes for these surgical error claims were failures or delays in treatment, with 1,999 lodged, while unnecessary pain was the most frequently cited injury, leading to 1,990 claims.
Gareth Lloyd, speaking to Medical Negligence Assist, said: “Although they appear on the surface to be straightforward cases, surgical errors are much more complex than that and can cover a number of situations and outcomes.
“For example, an operation to remove your gallbladder carries with it risks of damage to the bile duct, blood vessels, bowel and intestines.
“If one of these complications happens during the operation, nine times out of ten, there is no case, however, that doesn’t mean that there is no case at all, it just makes it more difficult to prove.”
Medical Negligence Assist provides support to patients who may have suffered from a surgical error and can help ascertain if they have grounds to submit a claim.
They operate a 24-hour helpline and a claim online form, which can be accessed via their website.
A Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust spokesperson said: “We carry out over 10,000 surgical processes annually at LGT, the vast majority of which are without incident.
“We work hard to maintain high standards for our patients, but there are occasion when complications regretfully arise.”
