THE Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals received a record number of clinical negligence claims last year, resulting in pay-outs totalling £7.3million.

There were 98 claims made against East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) in 2013/14, up from 80 in the previous year, when the total pay-outs were £5.9million.

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The increase was widely expected after NHS inspectors published a damning report on the trust last year, following a major investigation into its mortality rates.

The trust was placed in special measures, and several solicitors' firms launched advertising campaigns to attract patients and families who had been affected by service failures.

Negligence claims are handled by the NHS Litigation Authority, which runs a risk pooling scheme, and the data shows the pay-outs and costs awarded against ELHT regularly exceed the amount it pays in. It shows the number of the claims against the trust has steadily increased since 2003, when figures were first published.

The trust contributed £8.1million to the scheme in 2013/14, against its total costs, including legal fees, of £9.8million.

However, the pay-outs were significantly lower than in 2011/12, when damages of £10.5million were awarded, and total costs spiralled to £13.7million.

Blackburn MP Jack Straw said: "The numbers seem to be stabilising and I would hope that's an indication of how the trust has improved its handling of complaints. It's in everyone's interest to see these numbers fall."

David Tansley, associate director of quality and safety at ELHT, said: “The number of claims and potential claims notified to the trust in 2013/14, and the amounts paid out, do not necessarily relate to claims made in that year and also includes repayments from previous years.

"East Lancashire Hospitals uses the results of adverse incidents and complaints positively to improve our services and reduce the likelihood of future claims being made. We take a proactive approach to try and resolve claims rather than letting them develop into unnecessary litigation.”

Nationally, there were 1,844 more claims last year, but the total pay-outs reduced by about £23million.