Barnet, Enfield and Haringey (BEH) Mental Health NHS Trust settled 21 claims of negligence between 2019 and 2024, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust

Negligence claims against a North London mental health trust has seen it pay out £5.9million in damages over the last five years.

Data obtained by Medical Negligence Assist via a Freedom of Information Act request to NHS Resolution, which handles claims against NHS trusts, showed payouts amounting to millions were settled by Barnet, Enfield and Haringey (BEH) Mental Health NHS Trust between 2019 and 2024.

Across all London trusts during this period, a total of 362 claims and incidents of mental health negligence were reported to NHS Resolution, and 158 claims were settled with damages totalling just over £22.5m.

During that same period, BEH had 34 claims reported to NHS Resolution, of which 21 were settled, with damages amounting to more than £5.9m.

Additionally, the trust paid over £355,000 in NHS legal costs, and £2.2m in claimant legal costs, amounting to a total £8.5m paid.

In response BEH has said the figures include incidents that took place over a total 14-year period, and that the amount paid out for incidents that took place between 2019 and 2024 was £1.4m.

A spokesperson from North London Mental Health Partnership, which includes both BEH and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We take every single incident happening on our wards and in our services seriously, all patient safety related incidents are reviewed and investigated in line with the national patient safety strategy.

“Incidents resulting in serious harm would involve a detailed review and associated improvement plan to ensure learning and prevent future risk.”

By comparison, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust settled 22 claims totalling £2.2m in damages.

Next month, BEH is set to formally merge with Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, forming the new North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT).

Speaking at a joint health overview and scrutiny committee for the North Central London NHS area back in March, Jess Lievesley, an executive director at both trusts, said the formal merger of the two trusts would bring a “whole raft of benefits” with a “consistent and standard” service between the boroughs.

Separately, a lack of suitable accommodation, provision of support, and follow-ups for discharged mental health patients was an area of concern BEH highlighted earlier this year.

Vincent Kirchner, the BEH chief medical officer, also highlighted concerns earlier in the year, saying: “We are in communication with our local authority colleagues, but there’s been no real movement in a significant way.

“What I would say is the problem is escalating, we have more and more people on our wards who are clinically ready for discharge, waiting for a discharge and don’t have somewhere to go.”

It is hoped the merger will see significant improvements to services.

According to Medical Negligence Assist’s data, the NHS paid out at least £121m over poor care in mental health and psychiatry services over the last five years.

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