Your claim, explained
What does a clinical negligence enquiry cover?
This page focuses on nursing, dental care, monitoring and coordination between healthcare services. If the concern centres on diagnosis, surgery or medication, our medical negligence page explains how to prepare that more specific enquiry.
Trace responsibilities across the patient journey
Details that help an individual assessment
Set out who was responsible at admission, transfer, discharge and follow-up, and what information passed between teams. Distinguish a missed action from the harm allegedly caused. Include staffing or communication observations where you know them first-hand, not as assumptions about how a service operates.
An explanation, professional complaint and compensation claim serve different purposes. Say what outcome you seek and retain investigation responses. Poor communication does not necessarily establish compensable injury, while resolving a complaint does not automatically resolve a damages claim.
Before you contact us
Bring the clinical decision and its consequences into focus
A clinical negligence enquiry may concern diagnosis, referral, medication, surgery or follow-up. Explain the particular decision or delay you want reviewed and how your condition changed. We need to distinguish a concern about service quality from a potentially actionable injury caused by treatment.
Useful information to have to hand
- Prepare a short sequence of symptoms, consultations, tests and treatment decisions.
- Keep written advice, test results already supplied and complaint correspondence.
- Record further treatment, care needs and financial consequences without estimating unsupported figures.
A point worth checking early
Please do not upload your complete medical history in an initial email or WhatsApp message. Send a short outline first; relevant records can be requested through an appropriate channel if needed.
Request an individual assessment →Clinical negligence is the term used by the courts and by NHS Resolution for claims about the standard of healthcare. This page focuses on the process: how a claim is investigated, how the pre-action protocol works and what a claimant can expect at each stage.
Whether your concern relates to hospital care, a GP practice, a private clinic or a community service, the framework is the same. We will explain the steps clearly and discuss the funding options that may apply to your case.
Find your specific claim or injury
Birth injury claims
Investigate antenatal, labour, delivery and neonatal care through separate clinical stages, with the child's and parent's interests clearly distinguished.
Discuss this claim : Birth injury claimsErb's palsy claims
Assess a birth-related brachial plexus injury through delivery records, causation evidence and the child's developing functional needs.
Discuss this claim : Erb's palsy claimsStillbirth negligence claims
Seek a sensitive assessment of maternity-care concerns after stillbirth, distinguishing investigation findings from the legal requirements for compensation.
Discuss this claim : Stillbirth negligence claimsCerebral palsy negligence claims
Investigate whether negligent care caused a child's neurological injury, with a diagnosis alone distinguished from proof of preventability.
Discuss this claim : Cerebral palsy negligence claimsAnaesthetic awareness claims
Investigate reported awareness during anaesthesia through the procedure, intended technique, monitoring and subsequent psychological effects.
Discuss this claim : Anaesthetic awareness claimsCardiology negligence claims
Assess concerns about cardiac investigation, referral, intervention and follow-up without equating a serious heart outcome with negligence.
Discuss this claim : Cardiology negligence claimsGynaecology negligence claims
Review concerns about diagnosis, consent, procedures and follow-up with sensitive handling of reproductive and pelvic-health information.
Discuss this claim : Gynaecology negligence claimsSurgical negligence claims
Investigate operative technique, consent and postoperative care as separate questions, supported by the procedure and recovery records.
Discuss this claim : Surgical negligence claimsDental negligence claims
Assess diagnosis, restorative work, extractions, orthodontic treatment and consent with the original dental condition and remedial needs distinguished.
Discuss this claim : Dental negligence claimsOptician and eye-care negligence claims
Investigate eye examination, referral and follow-up concerns using the visual history and the information available at each appointment.
Discuss this claim : Optician and eye-care negligence claimsCare home negligence claims
Assess injuries linked to care planning, medication, falls management, pressure care or other specific failures without assuming every deterioration was preventable.
Discuss this claim : Care home negligence claimsWhen can you pursue compensation?
- You, or a family member you are acting for, received healthcare that arguably fell below a competent standard.
- Avoidable harm followed, which independent expert evidence can link to that failing.
- The claim is brought within the applicable limitation period, subject to the special rules for children and protected parties.
- Where a patient has died, the estate and certain dependants may bring a claim.
Circumstances to discuss with a solicitor
- Hospital treatment where an avoidable complication has occurred
- GP failures to refer, investigate or follow up
- Maternity and neonatal care concerns
- Anaesthetic and post-operative monitoring failures
- Nursing care failures, including pressure sores and falls in hospital
- Private cosmetic and dental procedures with avoidable harm
What Compensation Could I Claim?
- General damages reflecting the avoidable injury and its consequences
- Past and future treatment, therapy and medication costs
- Loss of earnings and pension loss where working life is affected
- Professional and family care, case management and equipment
- Accommodation and adaptation costs in the most serious cases
Recoverable compensation depends on the injury evidence, supported losses and applicable claim route.
Evidence That Helps
- Full records, including nursing notes, charts, imaging and correspondence
- Independent expert opinion from the relevant clinical specialty
- A detailed witness statement setting out your own account
- Any Serious Incident report, inquest material or regulatory findings
- Documents proving each item of financial loss claimed
How Long Could the Claim Take?
The pre-action protocol requires a Letter of Claim and allows the defendant four months to respond with a Letter of Response. With records collection and expert evidence before that, and negotiation or proceedings afterwards, clinical claims commonly run for two years or more.
Costs and funding for clinical negligence claims
What to clarify before you instruct
Clarify whether the instruction concerns complaint assistance or compensation litigation, and the charges for each stage.
Compare funding options and potential cost risksClinical Negligence Claims FAQs
What is the difference between medical and clinical negligence?
In practice they describe the same area of law. Clinical negligence is the term generally used by the courts, the NHS and practitioners.
Am I suing an individual doctor?
Usually not. Claims are typically brought against the trust or organisation responsible for the care, or against a private provider's insurer.
Can I get an apology or explanation as well?
Many clients want answers as much as compensation. The complaints process, the duty of candour and, where relevant, an inquest can all provide explanations.
What if my relative died?
A claim may be brought by the estate and by certain dependants. Any inquest evidence will often be relevant, and early advice is important.
Can nursing observation failures be assessed?
Identify the observation expected, what was recorded and subsequent harm. Clinical evidence is needed to connect an alleged omission with an outcome.
What if teams blame each other?
Provide transfer dates and correspondence. The enquiry can examine disputed responsibilities without requiring you to decide which team is legally accountable.
Is dental care included?
A dental treatment concern can be assessed. Provide the procedure, treatment plan, provider, symptoms and remedial treatment already recommended or received.
Can discharge planning be relevant?
Describe instructions, referrals and support offered, together with the alleged resulting injury. The discharge date alone does not explain the concern.
How should I document pressure-care concerns?
Keep a chronology of mobility, observations, discussions and treatment. Medical assessment must address both the condition and the care provided.
What if a relative cannot describe events?
Explain their communication needs and your relationship. Authority to obtain records or give instructions must be established before detailed information is exchanged.
Does poor communication alone justify damages?
Not necessarily. Explain any additional injury or loss. A complaint may better address service-quality concerns without compensable harm.
Should I provide care plans?
Use copies you lawfully hold and keep dates and versions intact. Different versions may explain changes in care arrangements.
What if a provider changed trading name?
Keep invoices and letters from the treatment period. The present brand may not identify the legal organisation responsible for earlier care.
Can a missed referral be investigated?
Provide the referral, follow-up attempts and eventual outcome. Its medical consequences need assessment separately from the administrative mistake.
Does a complaint replace a compensation claim?
No. They address different questions. Completing a complaint does not automatically preserve a civil claim or resolve its legal requirements.
Are safeguarding reports relevant?
They may be, but handle them privately and lawfully. Identify the report and holder before circulating sensitive information about other people.
Can I enquire about care outside hospital?
Identify the service and professional involvement. Clinical care should be distinguished from premises or general supervision issues requiring a different analysis.
Should I keep conflicting appointment letters?
Yes. Preserve each original and its date. Contradictions may help investigate a missed review or transfer without establishing causation on their own.
Can future support costs be considered?
Additional needs require evidence linking them to the alleged harm. Distinguish existing care from new support rather than claiming every ongoing cost.
What should the first care-coordination enquiry say?
Name providers, care period, disputed action and main consequence. Include investigations or deadlines so the next useful records can be identified.
Speak to our team
Explain the injury and any approaching deadline. We will confirm whether we can assess your enquiry.
Other personal injury claims
Back to the personal injury claims hub or view all practice areas.