IPSWICH Hospital paid out more than �1million in compensation to patients in the last financial year, it emerged today.

IPSWICH Hospital paid out more than �1million in compensation to patients in the last financial year, it emerged today.

The Heath Road hospital shelled out a total of �1,047,262 to victims of clinical negligence in 2007/08.

Legal costs also saw it spend �189,115 on its own lawyers' wages, and �108,877 on paying for the cost of claimants' legal fees.

Meanwhile the hospital paid out �233,250 in damages under the risk pooling scheme which deals with non-clinical cases, as well as spending more than �29,000 on legal fees for those cases.

Jan Rowsell, spokeswoman for Ipswich Hospital, said: “We work very closely with the NHS litigation authority to deal with cases as quickly as we can, in a timely and appropriate manner.

“Patient safety is our top priority and we work very hard to ensure incidents are as rare as they possibly can be.”

In June last year, the hospital paid out substantial, but undisclosed, damages to the family of an Ipswich girl who was left disabled due to inadequate care.

Holly Goodwyn was left with brain injuries, cerebral palsy and epilepsy after mistakes at her birth in January 1997.

A settlement hearing was held at the Royal Courts of Justice after Ipswich Hospital admitted negligence.

Confidentially meant the total amount of damages paid was not disclosed, but it was thought the figure was substantial.

The costs of the Goodwyn family's claim have not been included in the 2007/08 figures because the case was not settled until the 2008/09 financial year.

Have you claimed damages against Ipswich Hospital? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.