General practitioners (GPs) and other healthcare professionals are often our first port of call when we’re unwell. We expect our doctors to be able to diagnose and act on the symptoms of illness, but sometimes these signs are missed, with serious consequences.

Our medical negligence solicitors can help with a range of gp negligence claims, such as:

  • Refer you to a specialist
  • Refer you for tests
  • Take your medical history into account
  • Conduct an adequate examination
  • Diagnose a condition (for example meningitis or cancer)

Any one of these errors can have a long-term impact on your wellbeing. GPs play such an important role in our health, so it’s vital that the consequences of any mistakes they make are recognised and learned from.

If you’ve suffered as a result of negligence, we have the expertise and experience to prove that your GP didn’t meet certain standards. Most of our claims against doctors are funded on a No Win No Fee basis, which means there is no financial risk to you in making a claim.*

We know the difference compensation and rehabilitation can make to your life after medical negligence. Our dedicated support and rehabilitation coordinators will make sure that you have access to the support you need during and after your claim.

For a free initial consultation about making a claim, call us today on 0161 225 8181 or contact us online and we’ll get back to you.

  • Access to support and rehabilitation coordinators
  • The largest medical negligence team in the UK
  • In-house public law and Court of Protection experts
  • Advice from our IM Asset Management team on how to take care of your compensation

What Will Happen When I Make A Claim?

After you’ve contacted us, we’ll set up a free initial consultation to discuss your case and whether you have a legal claim. We’ll discuss what funding options are available to you to pay for your claim, including No Win No Fee agreements*.

We’ll then get in touch with those responsible for your negligent treatment at an early stage to see if they accept the blame for your illness. If they accept responsibility, we’ll try to secure interim compensation payments which can fund private medical care and ongoing expenses, before your claim fully settles. Any interim payments will be taken out of your final compensation award.

Our experts will look into your case in detail, gathering evidence from independent medical professionals. These experts evaluate what care you should have received and can determine any future implications to your health. They’ll also advise us on the care you’ll need in the future.

We’ll always try and negotiate claims out of court, keeping the claim process as short as we can. However, if your opponent doesn’t accept responsibility or doesn’t agree with the amount of compensation we feel you need, we’ll start court proceedings.

Even when trial dates have been set, claims are still often settled before reaching court. If your claim does need to go to court, we’ll be there to help you every step of the way, talking you through what will happen so you feel as comfortable as possible.

How Long Do I Have To Make A Claim?

In most medical negligence cases, you have three years to make a compensation claim, starting from the date your GP made a mistake or you became aware of that mistake. For children, this three-year period begins on their 18th birthday, so you have until they’re 21 to make a claim.

If you have questions or concerns about the time limits, please call us for free initial advice on 0161 225 8181.

Can I Make A Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?

Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there’s no financial risk* to you when making a compensation claim.

At the start of your case we’ll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI) or are covered by a trade union policy, these may be best for you. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.

If we think you’re best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we’ll explain the process clearly. This involves setting up an insurance policy that will protect you, at no cost to you. You’ll only have to pay anything when your claim is successful – your opponent will pay most of our fees.

Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.

How Our Other Teams Can Help

Because we’re a full-service law firm, we also have a number of other in-house teams with specialist knowledge in areas such as rehabilitation, Wills and asset management.

Rehabilitation

We see rehabilitation as key and will make sure that you can access the care and support services you need to lead the best life possible. Our support and rehabilitation coordinators can provide support and information to you and your family, helping you with many of the other problems you may face, such as employment and benefit issues.

Public Law & Human Rights

Our Public Law & Human Rights department can offer advice on Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. The Act made sweeping reforms to child welfare legislation, affecting young people with special education needs under the age of 25. It replaced statements of special educational needs and learning difficulty assessments with a combined Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC plan).

Please follow this link for more information on the Children and Families Act, along with factsheets and template letters.

Asset Management

Our Asset Management team can provide advice on how your compensation could be best invested. We also have Court of Protection lawyers who can set up personal injury trusts and make sure you have access to the benefits you’re entitled to.

Meet Our Experts

As the largest medical negligence department in the country, our solicitors are highly rated by independent legal guides.

We have years of experience in securing compensation for those who’ve suffered as a consequence of medical errors. Our solicitors are aware that every claim is different and we make sure that we understand the care and support you need.

Getting an apology and explanation for what’s happened can be just as important as the compensation award. We’ll take the necessary steps to help you make a complaint and will campaign to ensure systems are put in place to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen to somebody else.

Meet the team

Frequently Asked Questions

What Constitutes GP Negligence?

We trust our GPs to make correct decisions, but when your doctor makes a mistake there can be long-term, serious consequences – physically, emotionally and financially. We’re experienced at investigating these errors, working out exactly what happened and how it should have been prevented.

Our solicitors can help if your GP has failed to:

  • Correctly diagnose a condition
  • Refer you to a specialist
  • Take your medical history into account
  • Conduct an adequate examination
  • Prescribe the right medicine or treatment
  • Refer you for investigations or tests

Any of these errors can have profound effects for both you and your family, which is why it’s important that the medical professionals in question are held to account. Our solicitors can help you do this, getting compensation and answers from the organisation responsible.

What Standards Of Care Must A GP Meet?

The General Medical Council (GMC) sets out a series of standards that a patient can expect from their GP. If a GP fails to meet these standards, they’re at risk of losing their membership of the GMC and, if their mistakes have serious consequences…

… you could be able to make a compensation claim against your doctor.

The key duties that a GP must follow are:

  • Putting the patient first and providing good care
  • Taking prompt action if they think their patient’s health is at risk
  • Treating patients individually and with dignity
  • Working in partnership with patients and colleagues
  • Acting with honesty and integrity

If you think your GP has failed to provide an acceptable level of care, you could have a claim for malpractice.

Which Medical Professionals Can You Claim Against?

We’ll come into contact with a number of medical professionals over the course of our lives, most of which do a fantastic job. However, they do sometimes make mistakes, and our solicitors have helped many people to claim compensation after negligence from:

  • Community midwives
  • District nurses
  • GPs
  • Nursing homes
  • Occupational therapists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Surgeons

Some of these are people you’ll visit again and again, whereas others – such as physiotherapists – might only be working with you on a specific health issue. Whatever the nature of your relationship with them, these medical professionals have a duty to provide you with a certain standard of care as set out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), England’s health regulator.