State sets aside €60m for medical claims

THE state has set aside a €60 million war-chest to pay for a series of clinical negligence claims this year.

Figures detailed in the budget allocation for 2010 show the major sum of money will be provided to the State Claims Agency to cope with a surge in claims payouts against doctors and medical facilities.

In the 2009 budget a total of €30 million was provided to the Department of Health to cope with the rise in cases, with a further €16m allocated to the State Claims Agency when it took over full responsibility for clinical negligence cases in July.