Figures released to the BBC under Freedom of Information legislation show that the health service expects to have to pay a large sum to lawyers in order to settle all current outstanding claims and projected ones.

The overall cost of the compensation claims is estimated at £83 billion, compared to NHS England’s £129 billion budget in 2018/19.

The vast majority of compensation pay-outs and legal fees are funded through the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, administered by NHS Resolution. Hospitals are expected to contribute around £1.9 billion to the scheme in 2019/20.

NHS Resolution has said it is working to bring legal costs down by promoting alternatives to litigation, including mediation.