GP Negligence Claims

It is easy to forget, but doctors are only human. This means that occasionally they will make mistakes; mistakes that can have severe consequences.

If you have been injured, or your condition worsened, by treatment a GP has provided, you might be able to claim compensation. To make a successful medical negligence claim against a GP, you need to prove:

• They provided you with treatment that was worse than any other GPs would have provided; and
• This treatment injured you, made a pre-existing condition significantly worse, or prevented you from making the recovery you otherwise would have done.

Without medical evidence and legal experience it can be hard to know if your symptoms have been caused by your GP, or were the inevitable consequence of a pre-existing condition. If you think you have been the victim of poor treatment, just call us on 01904 556600 or contact us by email. Our team will assess your claim for free, and advise whether we can help you claim compensation on a No Win No Fee basis.

Because GPs treat a wide range of conditions, we see claims relating to all sorts of problems, including:

• Prescribing the wrong medication
• Avoidable errors with minor surgeries
• Failing to refer you to specialists when necessary
• Mismanagement of long-term conditions, such as diabetes

Because GPs are the first people you go to when you need non-urgent medical help, we see a lot of claims for failing to diagnose, or misdiagnosing conditions, which results in a delay in diagnosis. We have seen this with a range of medical conditions, including:

• Cancer
• Meningitis
• Cauda Equina Syndrome
• Unstable angina

Every medical negligence claim is different, so will take a slightly different course, but a typical claim will involve:

Initial assessment

Many people are not sure whether they can make a medical negligence claim. That is why Pryers offer a free initial consultation. We will talk about what you’ve been through and advise for free whether we can help you claim compensation on a No Win No Fee basis.

Evidence gathering

If you decide to go ahead with making a claim, we will obtain the relevant medical records. We will then instruct an independent medical expert to prepare a report on the treatment you have received. Sometimes more than one expert’s evidence is needed, so this process may be repeated.

Negotiation

Once we have enough evidence, we will write to the other side and set out the details of your claim. Typically, they will pass this to their insurer. If they accept fault, we can gather evidence regarding your injuries and any losses, to try and negotiate a settlement.

Litigation

If we cannot reach an agreement, we will issue proceedings at court. The court will then set a calendar for all parties to exchange evidence.

The court’s plan usually leads to agreement being reached between the parties, which means most claims do not end in a trial. Nevertheless, Pryers have the necessary experience to achieve the best outcome if your claim does end in a trial.

You can read more about the process of making a claim in our medical negligence claim guide.

If you have suffered a significant injury as a result of your GP’s negligent care, you can make a medical negligence claim. You can also claim compensation for any financial losses sustained. However, it doesn’t have to be an entirely new injury.

A large part of a GP’s work involves managing long-term conditions. Mismanagement can therefore result in a deterioration of a pre-existing problem – rather than a new injury. Likewise, if a GP fails to diagnose a condition, it might not be that they could have prevented this condition, but you are entitled to compensation for the extent that their failure made it worse or prevented you from making a good recovery.