Compensation claims against public sector services are crippling health and schools, the former Cabinet minister Stephen Byers has warned. New figures show claims against schools have risen to ?200m a year – enough to pay for about 8,000 new teachers. Similarly, NHS medical error claims have risen from ?1m in 1974 to ?477m in 2003 – equal to 22,700 extra nurses. Mr Byers said that the “compensation culture” was only benefiting lawyers and accident firms. The backbench MP for North Tyneside said something was badly wrong when legal action so badly hits “good quality schools and a decent healthcare”. “Money is being taken away from saving lives and educating our children to pay for a compensation system in which the real beneficiaries are the lawyers and accident management companies,” he warned…

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