Pressure Sore Claims Cost NHS £100 Million in Five Years, Why Preventable Injuries Keep Happening

Despite being almost entirely preventable, pressure sores also known as bedsores or pressure ulcers continue to cause serious pain, infection, and even life-threatening complications for patients who have been left lying in one position for too long.

Between 2019 and 2024, the NHS paid out £85.5 million for pressure sore-related claims, with a further £16.8 million already recorded in 2024/25 alone, according to official NHS Resolution data.

Preventable injuries still happening despite guidelines

Pressure sores are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue caused by prolonged pressure. They are widely recognised as largely preventable through simple interventions such as regular patient repositioning, hydration, and prompt risk assessments. Certain groups of patients are more susceptible to pressure sores, including the elderly and those with reduced sensation who may not be able to recognise that they are developing sores.

However, the latest figures show hundreds of new claims every year, with some individual NHS Trusts recording multiple claims.

Potential reasons for pressure sore claims may include:

• Previous surgery causing complications and immobility
• Poor nursing supervision and understaffing
• History of health conditions making a patient vulnerable to this
• History of vascular conditions making a patient vulnerable to this
• Delayed or inadequate pressure ulcer risk assessments
• Failure to turn or reposition immobile patients adequately or at all.
• Lack of basic hygiene and skin or wound inspections

Completely avoidable harm’ costing millions

Jason Brady Partner at Blackwater Law, emphasises the significance of this “Pressure sores can be prevented and can therefore be avoidable harm in hospitals and care settings. It must be remembered that behind each statistic here represents someone whose life has been affected by pressure sores with the pain and suffering that goes with it and that this can be avoided.”

The human and financial cost of NHS negligence

From 2019–2024, 1,322 claims were made across NHS Trusts in England relating to pressure sore injuries. The total payout of £85.5 million  , an additional £16.7 million was paid out in 2024/25 alone, suggesting the problem is not improving.

Legal rights for affected patients

Patients who have developed pressure sores due to negligent hospital care may be entitled to pressure sore compensation claims. Blackwater Law can help investigate whether the standard of care fell below what is reasonably expected and whether the injury could have been prevented.

For those who have suffered, pursuing a claim is not only about compensation but also about holding institutions accountable and driving improvements in patient safety.

About Blackwater Law

Blackwater Law is a specialist medical negligence law firm helping clients pursue claims involving hospital neglect, avoidable harm, and NHS negligence payouts. The firm’s solicitors have extensive experience handling pressure sore compensation claims, birth injury cases, and misdiagnosis claims.