The NHS has paid £35 million in compensation to hospital patients who developed sores caused by staff negligence.
Figures reveal that nearly 700 court cases related to preventable skin infections were resolved in the last two years.
Sores, also known as pressure ulcers, develop when a patient’s skin is damaged by continued pressure on one spot, due to lack of movement.
If left untreated, they can become a blister or open wound, causing debilitating pain or even life-threatening infections.
Compensation data, obtained through a Freedom of Information request by medical bed company Opera Beds, shows Sheffield University Hospitals paid the most, £1.7 million across 12 cases.
Prevention of sores includes periodic repositioning by staff if the patient is bedridden or immobile, use of pressure-relieving devices, skin care, and nutritional support.
The data also revealed that East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust saw a reduction in the number of reported pressure ulcers by 81 per cent last year.
Figures reveal that nearly 700 court cases related to preventable skin infections were resolved in the last two years. In the photo: archive photo

Compensation data, obtained through a Freedom of Information request by medical bed company Opera Beds, shows Sheffield University Hospitals paid the most, £1.7 million across 12 cases. In the photo: archive photo
The Trust said this was, in part, because staff received training on how to prevent pressure ulcers, while patients were also advised to move as regularly as possible, use pillows to elevate affected areas and remind them to stay hydrated to avoid the condition.
The Royal College Nurses (RCN) has warned that preventing pressure ulcers can “save lives”, but staff shortages are partly to blame.
An RCN spokesperson said: “Vital care like this can go unnoticed due to chronic shortages of nursing staff, which needs to be addressed.”
A study published in the journal BMC Nursing earlier this month found that 90 percent of bed ulcer injuries could be prevented.