Tameside and Glossop NHS Trust among lowest for negligence claims

A recent report has found Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Trust has one of the lowest rates of medical negligence claims in England.

The figures were unearthed by medical negligence legal support group Medical Negligence Assist through Freedom of Information requests made to the trust, which revealed a total of £471,248 being paid out to patient claims - the lowest of the 32 health trusts surveyed.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, the second-lowest, paid £1,175,491 in compensation claims.

Reasons for medical negligence claims vary, but oftentimes may involve failures to perform X-rays or other diagnostic tests, inadequate care or medication errors. 

The most common reason for patient claims is a failed or delayed diagnosis. These claims make up 2,224 of those made across the country within the past five years. 

Between 2019 and 2024, 47 claims were lodged against the Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care Trust regarding A&E negligence, with 28 being settled.

The number of claims has seen an increase since 2019, where just six claims were filed against the trust. The number rose to 14 within two years immediately after the Covid pandemic, before falling slightly to 11, made between 2023 and 2024.

Of the 32 trusts surveyed, Tameside and Glossop had the seventh-lowest number of medical negligence claims filed against the service, with Rotheram NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust tying with only 40 claims over five years. 

The average number of claims made against NHS Trusts across England was 79.7, with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust topping the list with 198.

The research paints a positive picture for the trust in 2025, despite high levels of pressure on the NHS at a national level. 

Just this week, resident doctors across England announced a five-day strike related to poor pay and working conditions, while patient waiting times have soared since the Covid-19 pandemic. Tameside and Glossop NHS Foundation Trust waiting times currently stand at 20 weeks for first outpatient appointments, and 13 weeks for treatment.

A spokesperson for the Tameside and Glossop NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our emergency department sees over 135,000 attendances each year and the vast majority of patients are seen, diagnosed and treated appropriately. In the small minority of cases where we have not met our own high standards, we thoroughly investigate and take the time to implement learnings from any medical claims.

"We are committed to continuously improving our urgent and emergency care services and in September 2024, we unveiled our new emergency department. This has increased the number of bays and cubicles available, as well as providing a dedicated rapid assessment and treatment area for patients arriving by ambulance. Our urgent treatment centre has been relocated to within the emergency department to ensure patients are cared for in the most appropriate place.

"Over the last year, we have also had significant investment into our medical and nursing teams, in line with increased capacity within the new emergency department building."