The Low Down ‘The NHS’, said former Conservative chancellor Nigel Lawson, ‘is the closest thing the English people have to a religion.’ Our faith remains devout, but it is being tested. In 2024/25, the service faced 14,428 new clinical negligence claims, placing an ever-increasing burden on a service that never seems to have enough money. The clinical negligence bill topped £3.6bn in 2025 and spending watchdogs have renewed their longstanding interest in reducing costs.