Medical Negligence Guide · Published by Edward & Amaury Solicitors
Make a medical negligence claim.
No win, no fee, for patients across England & Wales.
If care from an NHS trust, GP surgery, dentist or private clinic has caused avoidable harm, you may be entitled to compensation. Edward & Amaury Solicitors handles medical negligence claims directly — check if you can claim in 60 seconds, free and with no obligation.
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What does medical negligence actually mean in UK law?
Short answer
In the UK, medical negligence — also called clinical negligence — describes a situation in which a healthcare professional's treatment falls below the standard a reasonably competent practitioner of the same discipline would have provided, and that shortfall directly produces an injury or worsening that would not otherwise have occurred. Both elements — substandard care and resulting harm — must be established for compensation to be awarded.
The framework comes from two leading cases: Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee, which set the original "responsible body of opinion" test, and Bolitho v City and Hackney HA, which added that the body of opinion must itself stand up to logical scrutiny. The same principles apply across NHS care, private hospitals, dental practices, GP surgeries, midwifery and care-home settings — there is no separate, lower standard for any one branch of medicine.
Two centuries of common law shape every clinical negligence claim heard today.
Bolam · Bolitho · Montgomery
Four pillars
Everything you need to start your claim.
Whether you're ready to check your eligibility now or want to understand the process first, the four sections below will help you decide — and take the next step.
- 01
Categories of clinical negligence
From missed cancer diagnoses to surgical errors and maternity harm — the recurring patterns behind UK claims.
- 02
What UK patients are entitled to
Statutory and common-law rights — duty of care, informed consent, candour, and access to your records.
- 03
Inside the claim process
Each formal stage of a UK clinical negligence claim, from first call through to settlement.
- 04
Funding a claim
How Conditional Fee Agreements really work, the 25% statutory cap, ATE insurance and QOCS protection — explained in plain English.
Featured claims
The claims we handle most often.
Jump straight to the claim type that matches your situation, or check your eligibility now.
- Brain Injury CompensationStroke, birth injury, surgical error and anaesthetic negligence causing brain damage
- Childbirth NegligenceCTG misinterpretation, delayed caesarean, and birth complications
- A&E NegligenceMissed diagnosis and wrongful discharge from accident and emergency
- Retained Swab ClaimsNever event — surgical swab left inside the body after an operation
- Sepsis negligence
- Stroke misdiagnosis
- Birth injury
- Cauda equina
- Cancer misdiagnosis
- Heart attack misdiagnosis
- Brain damage at birth
- Surgical negligence
Three reasons to check now
Why it's worth starting your claim today.
01
Compensation is a recognised legal remedy
Where care has fallen below the proper standard and that has caused you measurable injury or financial loss, the courts can order the responsible party — NHS Resolution for NHS care, the provider's medical defence insurer for private care — to pay damages.
02
The clock starts ticking quickly
The Limitation Act 1980 gives most adult claimants three years from either the date of the negligent act or the date they first reasonably became aware that harm had been caused. The sooner you check, the more options stay open.
03
Checking costs you nothing and commits you to nothing
Our eligibility check is free, anonymous and takes 60 seconds. If it looks like you have a claim, Edward & Amaury will talk you through funding it on a no win no fee basis — nothing is owed unless you decide to proceed.
Common questions
What people most often ask first.
What counts as medical negligence in the UK?
Medical (or clinical) negligence describes care that falls below the standard a reasonably competent practitioner in the same discipline would have provided, and which directly causes you injury or worsening that would not otherwise have happened. Both elements — substandard care and resulting harm — must be established.
How long do I have to make a medical negligence claim?
The Limitation Act 1980 generally gives adult claimants three years from either the date of the negligent act or the date they first reasonably became aware that harm had been caused. Children have until their 21st birthday, and the clock does not run while an adult lacks mental capacity.
Do I have to pay anything upfront to bring a claim?
In the UK, almost all clinical negligence claims are funded under a Conditional Fee Agreement (no win, no fee). You pay nothing if the claim fails. If it succeeds, a success fee capped at 25% of past losses and general damages is typically deducted — future losses are protected.
Can I claim against the NHS as well as a private provider?
Yes. The same legal standard applies whether you were treated by an NHS trust, a GP surgery, a dental practice or a private clinic. NHS claims are defended by NHS Resolution under a central scheme; private claims are defended by the provider's medical defence insurer.
Is Medical Negligence Guide a law firm?
Medical Negligence Guide is published by Edward & Amaury Solicitors, a firm of solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA no. 800525). The site itself provides educational information only, not legal advice — completing the eligibility tool does not open a case or create a solicitor–client relationship.
Take the next step
Find out if you can claim compensation.
Five short questions, drawn from the same legal tests a solicitor would apply at a first call. Anonymous, no contact details required, plain-English result at the end — then a direct route to Edward & Amaury Solicitors if your case is worth taking forward.
Check if you can claim