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NHS Resolution Annual report and accounts 2021/22 11

The second unexpected development has of course This is another reason why partnership working is so
been the Covid-19 pandemic, which has permeated important to us. Nothing that we set out to achieve
every aspect of our work in 2021/22, ranging from the can be done alone, and in that regard we are indebted
increased support provided to our own staff described to our partners across health and justice who have
at page 81, to the rapid launch and delivery of new worked with us to deliver against shared objectives.
indemnity schemes to respond to the pandemic Our Maternity Incentive Scheme is a great illustration
healthcare arrangements. The pandemic has also of this, demonstrating how the pricing of indemnity
caused us to make changes to the way in which we schemes can be called into action to drive improvements
operate and to our services, such as the pause to the in safety which are curated by others such as the royal
Maternity Incentive Scheme to relieve the burden on colleges. We are particularly grateful this year to the
frontline services. Wherever possible, we have drawn on members of our new Maternity Voices Partnership
pandemic arrangements as a way to accelerate change who are helping us to develop our services in a way
and to innovate. This includes increased collaboration which is better connected with the needs of patients
to circumvent constraints in the justice system and the and families. I would also like to thank the clinical
remote delivery of services such as online mediation, staff who have generously given up their time and
the first virtual performance assessments and remote expertise to inform our work in learning from claims.
site visits in our Primary Care Appeals service.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to pay tribute
A constant, however, has been the continued rise in to our incredible staff who go above and beyond
the costs of compensation claims for clinical negligence. every day to deliver to the best of their ability for the
The dominant feature of our accounts this year is the NHS and the patients we all work for. I am looking

51 % increase in the provision from £85.2 billion1to forward to working with them all, and with our
£128.6 billion. This increase is almost entirely due to a partners and sponsoring department, as we enter our
downward adjustment in the prescribed HM Treasury new three-year strategy, 'Advise, resolve and learn'.
discount rate. This is a technical accounting feature but
Helen Vernon
illustrates the sensitivity of our accounts to adjustments in
Chief Executive
the assumptions used of which this is one number. Claims
inflation, in the meantime, has slightly abated, with
increasing evidence that the long-term trend is below
levels previously assumed. While this is positive news, the
overall trajectory remains upwards and of concern. This
has recently been examined by the Health and Social Care
Select Committee and where Government has announced
an intention to consult on a range of approaches to
address rising clinical negligence costs. We look forward
to continuing to support this work that, as the National
Audit Office identified in 2017, is a cross-government
matter, which cannot be addressed by NHS Resolution or
the Department of Health and Social Care in isolation.

The opening balance at 1 April 2020 and closing balance at 31 March 2021 have been increased by £2,790 million and £2,457 million

respectively to reflect a prior period adjustment for 2020/21 in respect of the revaluation of the known claims provision. See Note 7.4
for further details of the revaluation.