MORE than £4million was paid out in clinical negligence compensation claims by the Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust last year.

During 2006/7 the trust, which covers King George Hosptial in Ilford, paid £2,398,682 in damages, and £2,044,654 in legal fees.

Claims arose from injuries to patients during hospital treatment.

Ilford North MP Lee Scott, one of the leading voices in the campaign against cuts to services at King George Hospital, is extremely concerned about the pay-outs which are among the highest in the country.

He added: "It's very worrying that so much money is being wasted in this way.

"I was aware that lots of the compensation claims have been given from head injuries at Queens Hospital in Romford.

"The figures are high and it's something that the new management are going to have to look at.

"If you look at Professor Alberti's report there was a lot of criticism of management. Of course I've had some dealings with constituents who have had to make claims because of injuries sustained."

A spokeswoman for the Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust said that litigation is directly related to the size of the organisation and the figures for this financial year are on target to be substantially lower. She added: "The Trust is one of the largest and busiest in the NHS, and it also offers regional services such as cancer and neurosurgery.

"Having one of the largest maternity units in England can also lead to high-cost settlements.

"This is simply in proportion to the number of people we treat and has no reflection on levels of patient care.

"Recent reports show that the Trust is meeting all of its targets for patient care, and is consistently improving its service."