Maternity Services: Negligence
Health
Written answers and statements, 2 April 2008
Andrew Lansley (Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Health; South Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patient safety incidents relating to maternity services were reported to the National Patient Safety Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Ann Keen (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Health Services), Department of Health; Brentford & Isleworth, Labour)
The number of patient safety incidents relating to maternity services reported to the National Patient Safety Agency is shown in the following table:
| Year reported | Frequency |
| 2005 | 28,891 |
| 2006 | 50,608 |
| 2007 | 74,986 |
The increase in the number of incidents reported annually reflects the trend in all incident reporting. An increased number of reported incidents does not necessarily mean a higher number of incidents but may instead reflect greater levels of reporting.