London - Family doctors are 13 times more likely to be sued by their patients now than they were 10 years ago, according to figures published yesterday. The size of settlements has also increased in the last decade, said the Medical Protection Society, which defends doctors in legal claims.
Actions against GPs which eventually fail have also increased as the UK has adopted an US-style litigation culture. The MPS, which represents 45 per cent of the UK's doctors, said that claims opened against GPs had risen from 38 in 1989 to 500 last year.