The Gauteng health department on Thursday said it had saved an estimated R10m in the space of two months after launching a project to reduce the number of medical negligence cases.

Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku told reporters the money was saved because the department started using mediators in a bid to prevent costly litigation.

Masuku said although the legal costs of medical claims against the department dropped by R2bn – from R22bn to R20bn – in the past year, the amounts involved were still huge...