NHS could make workplace injury claims
The NHS could be given the authority to seek financial compensation for treating the victims of workplace accidents.
The existing NHS Injury Costs Recovery scheme allows hospitals to recoup money from insurance companies for treating people hurt in road accidents.
Government ministers are now consulting on whether to expand the scheme to include other types of personal injury.
It is thought that the lion’s share of the money will come from workplace injuries, which alone could help the NHS recoup somewhere in the region of £150 million a year.
Since its introduction five years ago the Road Traffic Accident (RTA) initiative has recovered around £105 million per year for the NHS.
“It is unacceptable that taxpayers have to pay for the medical treatment of someone injured at work simply because employers fail to take adequate steps to protect their workforce,” said Health Minister Rosie Winterton.
“Individual hospitals will now be able to recover the costs and decide where they want to reinvest that money to improve services they want.”
She pledged that: “The scheme will not introduce any more extra regulations for businesses and will be based on the current RTA scheme. The consultation will give all those with an interest in the scheme an opportunity to comment on the way it will work in practice when it comes into effect next year.”
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has welcomed the new proposals, maintaining that employers should be accountable for health and safety negligence.
“It is important that negligent employers pay the full cost of their actions rather than expecting the taxpayers to subsidise their failures to protect workers,” he said.
Interested parties will have until December 17th to respond.
