13 Nov 2016

Treatment mishap costs rise 490% in decade

12:37 pm on 13 November 2016

Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) has paid nearly $675 million for patients injured after botched medical treatments, misdiagnosis, post-surgery infections and reactions to medications in the past decade.

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Photo: ACC

New figures show the number of treatment-injury claims ACC accepted has increased by 170 percent to 8832 acceptances in 2015-16.

Costs have also increased by 490 percent in the past decade to $123 million.

People returning from overseas with injuries caused by medical treatment have cost $1.2 million in public money in the same period.

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