The number of claims closed by NHS lawyers dropped suddenly, caused by the problems of moving to a new case management system.

The newly-published NHS Resolution annual report reveals that the organisation closed 10,047 clinical claims for compensation in 2025/26 – a decrease of 30% on the year before. In total, the number of resolved claims fell by 11% to 11,841.

NHSR linked both decreases to the transition to CaseHub, which was said to have had a short-term impact in the day-to-day management of claims.

In their introduction to the report, chair Sally Cheshire and chief executive Helen Vernon said the new system represented a ‘cornerstone of operational transformation’ but that there had been problems while it was bedding in. ‘Its implementation involved migrating tens of thousands of claims and millions of records,' they said. 'It also involved redesigning processes and providing extensive training to support staff as they transitioned to new ways of working.

‘As with any major transformation programme, the process was not without its challenges. We are grateful to colleagues across the organisation for their engagement in supporting the successful rollout of CaseHub.’

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The organisation's chiefs added that over time the new system would bring robust data capture, enhanced case management capabilities and better quality and more useable data, helping NHS Resolution to provide more efficient and responsive services.

The issue of clinical negligence claims and the associated costs has taken on a higher profile in the past six months with MPs calling for action to reduce the multi-billion-pound spending on compensation and legal bills.

The report reveals that damages payments to claimants rose by 6.2% to £2.42bn, but claimant legal costs remained almost unchanged at £622m. The NHS’s own legal costs rose by 4% to £188m.

While legal costs have come under scrutiny, lawyers have called for improvements in patient care if clinical negligence spending is to be brought under control. There appears to be little sign of this happening, with NHSR reporting a continuing increase recording 15,236 new claims in 2025/26, up from 14,428 claims in 2024/25. This included the largest volume of Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) claims the organisation has ever received.

NHSR continues to promote its efforts to keep claims out of formal court proceedings, and in 2025/26 a record 84% of claims were resolved without litigation.