Ophthalmology
(e.g. cataract surgery errors, missed glaucoma, delayed treatment)
NHS clinical negligence statistics for ophthalmology — 19 years of data
£37.1M
Total payments 2024/25
258
Claims settled 2024/25
£109K
Avg per settled claim
#14
of 20 specialties
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Ophthalmology — 19-Year Payment Trend
Ophthalmology payments totalled £37.1M in 2024/25, accounting for 1.2% of all NHS negligence payments. More ophthalmology claims are being settled than ever — 258 in 2024/25, up from 121 in 2006/07.
2024/25 payments
£37.1M
Share of all NHS
1.2%
Of total negligence payments
Claims settled
258
Up from 121 in 2006/07
How Long Do Ophthalmology Claims Take?
Average timings for ophthalmology claims based on 2024/25 data. The total average time from incident to settlement is approximately 4.4 years.
Incident to notification
2.8 years
Average time before a claim is made
Notification to settlement
1.6 years
Average time to resolve the claim
Total average
4.4 years
From incident to final resolution
Settlement Timing Trend
Claims Settled Over Time
Number of ophthalmology claims settled each year and their total damages value.
Top NHS Trusts by Total Negligence Payments
The NHS trusts with the highest total negligence payments in 2024/25. Ophthalmology covers e.g. cataract surgery errors, missed glaucoma, delayed treatment.
| 1 | £65.8M | |
| 2 | Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation TrustEast of England | £63.3M |
| 3 | £61.8M | |
| 4 | £56.1M | |
| 5 | University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation TrustWest Midlands | £55.7M |
| 6 | Barts Health NHS TrustLondon | £55.4M |
| 7 | £54.7M | |
| 8 | £50.8M | |
| 9 | Nottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustEast Midlands | £49.4M |
| 10 | £45.8M | |
| 11 | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation TrustEast of England | £43.6M |
| 12 | £41.8M | |
| 13 | Frimley Health NHS Foundation TrustSouth East | £38.9M |
| 14 | Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation TrustSouth East | £38.7M |
| 15 | £37.4M | |
| 16 | Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustEast of England | £36.5M |
| 17 | £34.9M | |
| 18 | East Lancashire Hospitals NHS TrustNorth West | £34.6M |
| 19 | £34.1M | |
| 20 | The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS TrustYorkshire and The Humber | £34.0M |
| 21 | Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustYorkshire and The Humber | £32.9M |
| 22 | £32.0M | |
| 23 | £31.2M | |
| 24 | Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS TrustSouth East | £30.6M |
| 25 | University Hospitals of Leicester NHS TrustEast Midlands | £29.9M |
| 26 | £29.9M | |
| 27 | East Sussex Healthcare NHS TrustSouth East | £28.4M |
| 28 | £28.0M | |
| 29 | £27.8M | |
| 30 | £27.7M |
Other Specialties
Obstetrics CP/BD
(cerebral palsy & brain damage — e.g. birth injuries causing permanent disability)
£1.1B
Total payments 2024/25
Other
(e.g. physiotherapy injuries, dietetics errors, pharmacy dispensing mistakes)
£461.6M
Total payments 2024/25
Emergency Medicine
(e.g. misdiagnosis in A&E, delayed treatment, triage failures)
£249.7M
Total payments 2024/25
Paediatrics
(e.g. missed meningitis, delayed diagnosis, medication dosing errors)
£210.8M
Total payments 2024/25
Orthopaedic Surgery
(e.g. failed joint replacements, fracture mismanagement, nerve damage)
£178.6M
Total payments 2024/25
Source: NHS Resolution Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25. Data covers the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST), Existing Liabilities Scheme (ELS), and Risk Pooling Scheme for Trusts (RPST). This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.