News alert / Fixed recoverable costs consultation reopened

The Department of Health and Social Care has reopened a consultation on whether the costs of disbursements should be included within specified recoverable costs in the lower damages clinical negligence claim fixed recoverable costs scheme (LDFRC) or should be separately recoverable. The proposed LDFRC scheme covers claims up to a value of £25,000, with the government confirming next steps in September. It also issued a consultation at the time to consider the proposed arrangements for disbursements, including court fees, counsel fees and ‘after the event’ insurance premiums covering expert reports. While the consultation concluded at the end of October, one question was missed off the online survey. The consultation has now been reopened to enable this question to be answered and will run until 22 December.