The rising cost of NHS negligence claims should be tackled by ministers, an MSP has said.
During First Minister’s Questions, Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser claimed extra pay-outs through a proposed Government scheme could cost the public purse the equivalent of 840 nurses salaries.
He later pointed out that NHS Fife has seen nursing numbers drop by 168 to 3,707 in the period between September 2010 and September 2012, while the health board had the third highest number of A&E patients that waited longer than 12 hours to be seen in Scotland.
Mr Salmond replied: “We should recognise that the issue requires to be tackled through an initiative, which is what no-fault compensation is designed to do.
“We should also put the issue in perspective and recognise that it is one that I suspect is being encountered by health services across the western world.
“The Government’s initiative is a genuine attempt to address the circumstances of the issue.”
