Patients’ group: Medical negligence bill could hit €1bn a year

The State would face a €1bn medical negligence bill every 12 months if the number of people to die unnecessarily or who are further injured because of delays due to overcrowding at emergency departments sued.

The claim was made by a patients’ group during the latest meeting of the Government-backed emergency department task force on Monday night.

Speaking at the meeting, which was attended by Leo Varadkar, the health minister, Irish Patients’ Association chairman Stephen McMahon said it is his belief that the current problems in the system have been caused by repeated failures to address the issues over the past decade.