workplace injuries

Employers could be forced to reimburse the NHS for the cost of hospital treatment following workplace injuries, under new legislation.

The legislation was originally set to be introduced last year, but was rescheduled by the Department of Health and will now be brought in around Autumn.

The legislation states that the NHS would be able to reclaim the cost of treating injured employees where companies are shown to have been negligent in their duties with employers then in turn needing to recover the costs from their employers' liability insurance policies.

However, some experts have expressed concern that the cost of employers' liability insurance could rise by as much as 8%, as a result of the legislation.

Employers are advised to revisit their health and safety procedures ahead of the new regulations.