GP Negligence Claims

We trust our GPs to make the right decisions, but when your doctor makes a mistake, there can be serious long-term consequences. These consequences can affect you physically, emotionally, and financially.

If you have experienced injury or illness that could have been prevented by a better standard of care by your GP, you could be entitled to compensation.

We are experienced at investigating these errors, working out exactly what happened and how it should have been prevented. We can help you get compensation and answers from those responsible, and make sure they are held to account.

Like all medical professionals, your GP has a duty to ensure you get a reasonable standard of care. Any time they fail to give you a reasonable standard of care, they have breached their duty to you.

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.

The main evidence we will need to prove you were treated negligently by a medical professional includes:

• Witness statements
• Medical records, documenting appointments and treatment
• Financial evidence, showing any loss of earnings or avoidable expenses you have incurred

If needed, we will also use independent medical experts who can give evidence to support your claim. This might mean you will need a medical examination to prove your injury or illness was caused by medical negligence.

Without knowing the circumstances of your claim, it’s hard to indicate how much it could be worth. Your compensation amount will be based on:

• Your pain and suffering
• The prognosis of your health in the future
• Any specialist treatment or equipment you may need
• Any loss of earnings you have had through the negligence you experienced
• Expenses you have incurred, such as medical expenses or travel expenses to hospital.

To get an idea of how much your GP negligence claim could be worth, speak to our medical negligence experts.

There’s a three-year time limit to most medical negligence claims, starting from the date you experienced the negligence. If you didn’t discover it was negligent treatment until a later date, the time limit will start from the date you learned this.

This time limit doesn’t apply to children under 18 and to people without mental capacity to make their own decisions.

In any event, we always encourage you to start making a claim as soon as possible, when details are fresher in your mind and evidence is easier to gather.

We can’t give you an estimate of how long your claim will take, as it will depend on several factors. One of the main issues is whether the doctor responsible accepts fault. If they admit responsibility and agree with the amount of compensation that we feel you need, we can settle your claim much faster.

However, if they deny responsibility or don’t agree with the amount we state, we will need to prove the negligence was their fault. This may involve beginning court proceedings. Even if trial dates are set, your claim could still be settled before going to court.

If we do need to take your claim to court, we will keep you updated every step of the way, making sure you feel prepared and supported.

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.

If their mistakes have serious consequences, you could make a compensation claim against your doctor.

The key duties that a GP must follow are:

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

If you think your GP has failed to provide an acceptable level of care, you could have a claim for malpractice. Get in touch for a free initial consultation. Reaching out doesn’t mean you’re committing to anything – we always start with a free, no-obligation consultation. You decide what happens next.

Our award-winning medical negligence solicitors have helped many people claim compensation after negligence from:

• GPs
• Surgeons
• Physicians
• Therapists
• Paramedics
• District nurses
• Health visitors
• Nursing homes
• Physiotherapists
• Community midwives
• Occupational therapists