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This is no doubt the piggy squeal of the NHS insurers who cause high fees by wasting time with spurious defences. The pre-action stage will cost a lot because there is the inevitable to and fro of trite correspondence (again largely instigated by the defence) before the claimant gets sick of it and issues proceedings.

The insurance companies will be rubbing their hands together with delight yet again, knowing that claimants (and claimants' solicitors) will not find it cost-effective to proceed in light of the filibustering, and that - if the claimants win - there will be a relatively modest costs bill for the insurer to pick up.

And why must this be spun as a taxpayer issue? It largely isn't, save for the premium paid to the insurer each year (and why is *that* not subject to cost-cutting?).