§ NHS · COMPENSATION · 2024/25
NHS compensation,
band by band.
74% of claims settle for under £25,000, but claims over £1M account for 67% of total payments.
Claims settled
13,329
Total payments
£3.1B
Most common band
Nil
Claims over £1M
2.2%
Average Compensation Continues to Rise
The average compensation per settled NHS claim has risen from £103K in 2006/07 to £231K in 2024/25 — a 2.2x increase. This reflects rising care costs, legal precedents, and more complex claims.
Avg in 2006/07
£103K
19 years ago
Avg in 2024/25
£231K
Latest year
Growth
2.2x
Increase in average compensation
Claims vs Payments by Band
Just 2.2% of all claims are worth over £1 million, yet they account for 67% of total spend. The dual bars below show this concentration effect for every compensation band.
Nil
6,441 claims£1-£1,500
173 claims£1,501-£25,000
3,265 claims£25,001-£50,000
1,191 claims£50,001-£100,000
841 claims£100,001-£250,000
696 claims£250,001-£500,000
250 claims£500,001-£1,000,000
175 claims£1,000,001-£2,000,000
91 claims£2,000,001-£4,249,999
51 claims£4,250,000+
155 claimsDistribution by Number of Claims
How many claims settled in each compensation bracket in 2024/25.
Distribution by Total Payments
The same brackets by total payment value tell a very different story. A small number of high-value claims dominate total spending.
Catastrophic Claims Over Time
Total payments for claims in the highest band (£4,250,000+) over time. These are typically catastrophic injury cases involving lifelong care costs.
Key Insights
Low-value claims (<£25K)
74%
9,879 of 13,329 claims
High-value claims (>£1M)
2.2%
297 claims worth £2.1B
High-value share of payments
67%
Claims over £1M as share of total paid
Source: NHS Resolution Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25. Data covers the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST), Existing Liabilities Scheme (ELS), and Risk Pooling Scheme for Trusts (RPST). This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.