Legal costs paid by the NHS each year now exceed £90 million - up from £40.9 million four years ago. The NHS is blaming the 120% increase on the larger number of CFAs being used by solicitors as the background level of claims remains relatively static at 6,000 per year.

Claimant solicitors have been accused of 'Cherry Picking' by chief executive of the NHS Litigation Authority, Steve Walker but he admitted that the trend had been due to the removal of Legal Aid from all but child and public interest cases. This removal had helped to push the percentage of CFAs from 20% to 50% of all claims. Mr Walker further admitted that the claimant firms were doing nothing wrong but that this additional cost was taking money away from patient care.

In the same period, the NHS' defendant solicitors' bills have risen 48% to £43.3 million from £29.3 million 4 years ago.