There are many benefits to making a claim for personal injury following an accident that wasn’t your fault. Making a personal injury claim can assist claimants in obtaining the justice, compensation, and rehabilitation they need to help them move on with their lives following an injury. Legal action can also help to ensure that responsible parties make changes to prevent further accidents from happening in the future. One of the lesser-known benefits of making a claim; however, is the positive impact that making a claim can have on the National Health Service thanks to the NHS Injury Costs Recovery scheme.
What is the NHS Injury Costs Recovery Scheme?
The NHS Injury Costs Recovery Scheme enables NHS trusts to recover their costs when they have provided treatment to individuals who have been injured because of a third party’s negligence.
Under the scheme, the cost of the NHS treatment provided can be recovered from the party responsible for causing the injury. This could include, for example, a car driver who caused a road traffic collision, an employer who failed to provide proper safety equipment resulting in an employee’s injury, or a local authority responsible for a poorly maintained pavement.
The Injury Costs Recovery Scheme allows the NHS to recover the costs of treatment from the responsible party rather than from public funds, thereby ensuring that those responsible for causing the injury pay for the costs of the medical treatment.
NHS costs can be recovered under the scheme on a tariff system, with differing rates for NHS hospital inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, and treatment provided by the Ambulance Trust, including the Air Ambulance. NHS charges under the scheme are capped at £52,000 per case.
Will this impact the compensation you receive?
Put simply, money recovered for the NHS under the NHS Injury Costs Recovery Scheme will have no impact on the level of personal injury compensation you receive.
When personal injury compensation is paid to a claimant, either through a settlement or court award, the Compensation Recovery Unit is notified, and the costs of the medical treatment provided to the claimant by the NHS are then recovered from the Compensator after settlement.
Making a claim to benefit the NHS
One of the key objectives for the introduction of the NHS Injury Costs Recovery Scheme was to maximise funds available to the NHS by allowing trusts that provided the treatment to recover the costs from those responsible. The funds recovered under this scheme are intended to be used to improve patient services.
Moreover, making a personal injury claim will provide claimants with access to private treatment and rehabilitation, which will be funded by insurers. Using private facilities, funded as part of a claim, will aid in taking pressure off the NHS and will ensure claimants are provided with prompt treatment, aiding a quicker recovery.
How can Major Trauma Group assist?
Major Trauma Group understand that claimants need expert assistance after suffering a major injury as a result of an accident that wasn’t their fault. We can guide you through the process and ensure you receive the most relevant and appropriate legal advice from an experienced local legal representative who can provide a more personalised service.
Our member solicitors at Major Trauma Group are specialists in dealing with serious injuries and will ensure you are provided with the best treatment and rehabilitation for your injury.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today to find out more via email (hello@majortraumagroup.co.uk), telephone (0330 311 2578) or via live chat on our website (available Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm).
The Major Trauma Group is a not-for-profit community interest company, made up of leading law firms from across the country who, together with clinicians, have pooled their knowledge and experience to assist major trauma victims and their families through the provision of legal advice and ancillary services. Initial chats with our member law firms, are free and without obligation.
