GP negligence is when you suffer injury due to medical negligence by your family doctor or any member of the team working at the practice. The medical negligence could be the prescribing of an incorrect medication or a failure to refer for tests.

Medical negligence, the providing of medical care at a level below which no other GP would treat you, can result in you being off work, being seriously ill and missing an early diagnosis of cancer. GP negligence can impact your life.

Any medical negligence will also have a financial impact on your life. You can make a GP negligence compensation claim for the financial losses and medical costs you suffer due to the breach of duty of care.

The Medical Negligence Team solicitors can make a claim for GP negligence compensation.

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Are you eligible for compensation?

If you want to obtain compensation for the negligence you have suffered, we have a simple 3 step process to make sure you get the money you deserve

  • Take our online assessment & speak with our team

  • Our team of doctors and lawyers will undertake a full medical review based on your medical notes

  • We will send a legal letter of claim and our solicitors will pursue your compensation on your behalf

All case reviews are 100% cost and commitment free.

What is a GP negligence claim?

A GP negligence claim for compensation is the legal process you follow when you suffer injury due to a breach of their duty of care by a GP.

NHS Resolution is the body responsible for handling claims related to medical negligence in England, including those involving GP negligence. 

The body saw an increase in new medical negligence claims in 2024, up 273 claims to 13,784 clinical negligence claims. The claims for GP negligence rose 9% from 2,180 in 2023 to 2,382 in 2024. The total amount for NHS Resolution claims paid out in 2024 was £2.8 billion, up from the £2.64 billion of the previous period. 

GP negligence can be for any medical negligence at the general surgery practice, such as that carried out by the nursing staff or the Physician Associates, PAs, who assist the GP in running the practice.

Our medical negligence solicitors can explain the process and how to make a claim against your GP for medical negligence.

Common GP negligence claims

Common GP negligence claims range from prescription errors to mistakes in diagnosis.

Every medical professional has a duty of care to their patients, and if a GP breaches that duty of care, it could lead to a medical negligence claim.

Types of GP negligence claims:

Failure to treat claims occurs when a GP does not treat your condition according to the symptoms. The GP may fail to prescribe the correct medication or fail to schedule blood tests, which may be medical negligence.

A failure to treat by the GP can lead to symptoms getting worse, and in some cases, the patient may need to spend unnecessary time in hospital due to the GP negligence.

When a doctor does not refer you for further tests or to see a hospital consultant for further examination. The GP has a duty of care to refer you for more treatment, and a failure to refer may be medical negligence.

A claim for GP negligence for a failure to refer can get compensation for the unnecessary pain and suffering.

When a GP prescribes medication for a patient without following guidelines, patients may receive negative results, resulting in the worsening of a condition.

It may be GP negligence if the GP prescribes a medication you are allergic to, according to your medical notes or a medication which could interact with an already prescribed one.

Negligence in the diagnosis of a condition can severely impact the patient and, in some cases, could put the patient’s life in danger. The GP has a duty to treat the ill patient, but they must first make a correct diagnosis.

The misdiagnosis of diabetes could see the patient suffering until a correct diagnosis is made. The missed diagnosis of cancer from test results can put your life in danger, and any delay in diagnosis could see a disease spreading to other internal organs.

Medical mistreatment occurs when a GP makes a mistake in treating a patient under their care. The GP could hit a nerve when giving a vaccine injection, causing paralysis in the arm or leg. The practice nurse could hit an artery when taking blood and send the patient into shock.

Putting a patient on the incorrect course of medication for several months will fail to treat the condition and could make it worse in some medical negligence claims.

A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor can look at the details of a GP negligence case and help form a compensation claim.

Compensation claims for GP negligence

Compensation claims for GP negligence can see awards ranging from more than £15,000 in some cases to amounts of more than £1 million in the severe cases, such as misdiagnosis of cancer.

You can make a medical negligence claim against a GP and the GP practice team for their breach of duty of care when treating you.

Compensation in GP negligence claims can be:

  • Treatment error by the GP – £18,900

  • Prescription error leading to an allergic reaction – £37,500

  • Failure to treat a skin condition by a GP – £55,330

  • Misdiagnosis of diabetes by the GP – £63,200

  • Disability due to a failure to spot the symptoms of stroke – £365,000

(All amounts are approximate and are only a guide to what is possible in any GP negligence claim. Figures can be high in some claims as the injured patient could need long-term care and may face medical bills for life due to medical negligence.)

You can claim these care expenses and any medical costs in the future in a medical negligence compensation case.

As in all medical negligence claims, each case is dealt with on its merits and according to the extent of the patient’s suffering due to the GP’s negligence. 

Your Medical Negligence Team solicitor will know from experience what your case may be worth and how to make a successful compensation claim.

How to make a GP negligence claim

To make a GP negligence claim, you follow the steps from seeking medical advice to issuing court proceedings. 

The steps are a part of any successful compensation case, and settlement can happen at any stage in the process.

Your medical negligence solicitor will guide you through the steps correctly and instruct you on how to gather all the necessary facts and figures for a GP negligence claim.

Seek medical advice on the treatment or lack of care experienced in the medical negligence by a GP or any member of their team at the general surgery practice.

Contact a specialist medical negligence solicitor who operates on a No Win No Fee basis and tell them what went wrong. The right solicitor will look at the case, see where the problem lies, and advise if you suffered medical negligence.

The Medical Negligence Team also have a 100% Compensation Guarantee scheme, where you get all the money awarded in a negligence claim.

You may have experienced GP negligence, and you should receive all the compensation due for the suffering you have endured.

Your medical negligence solicitor obtains the medical records with your permission. By reading the records, they will confirm if they think you have a valid compensation claim for GP negligence, such as a failure to treat.

The medical negligence team will know from your medical records if the case will likely result in compensation being paid.

The medical negligence solicitor sending a letter of claim to the negligent party is the next step. The letter will ask them to admit the medical negligence in what is known as ‘sending a letter of claim.’

When the negligent party receives the letter of claim, it has up to four months to provide a written response.

Getting a response from the negligent party’s insurer will move the compensation claim closer to a conclusion.

The insurer will either admit to the GP negligence or state that they intend to defend the case. Deciding to defend the case is known as ‘deny liability’ in legal terms.

If they admit liability, your medical negligence claim can be valued, and the two parties will meet to decide on the compensation payment. 

NHS Resolution operates the Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, and in most cases, the CNSGP will take the GP negligence claim.

Your solicitor will negotiate with the negligent party and use their experience to get the compensation you deserve.

Issuing court proceedings is the next step if they deny liability in your medical negligence claim.

Going to court happens, too, when they are not prepared to pay a fair amount for the damages suffered. Your medical negligence solicitor issues the court proceedings.

Remember that less than 1% of medical negligence cases end up in court, and very few of those cases ever make it to the courtroom.

Make a GP negligence claim today

Make a GP negligence claim today by contacting the Medical Negligence team. You or a loved one suffered injury due to medical negligence by the GP, and you can claim compensation.

At the Medical Negligence Team, we fight every compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis, and you will not be out of pocket for an unsuccessful claim. We have both the legal and medical experts to guide you along the steps to a successful claim for medical negligence compensation.

We have a very high success rate, know how to work with NHS Resolution, and have a reputation for a speedy and successful resolution of medical negligence claims.

Our 100% Compensation Guarantee puts all the money you win into your pocket.

Contact us at the Medical Negligence Team, and let us handle your GP negligence compensation claim today.

Medical Negligence Claim Assessment

Take our 5-minute claim assessment to determine the strength and validity of your case. This is a 100% cost and commitment free service.

GP Negligence FAQs

The GP can be responsible for GP negligence, but any employee of the practice may also be responsible for medical negligence in your treatment.

The physician assistant, PA, could make an error when taking your medical history. The practice nurse may not take your bloods when due, which could lead to a missed diagnosis.

The administration may fail to book a hospital scan, and it could lead to a case of medical negligence.

You have three years to make a claim for GP negligence. All medical negligence claims are subject to limitation periods.

For example, in England and Wales, medical negligence cases must generally be brought and court proceedings issued within three years of the injury or three years of knowledge of the facts giving rise to the claim.

Parents of a child have until the child turns 18 to make a medical negligence claim. The claim can help cover costs such as medical care, home adaptations, and any necessary car modifications.

If your child has suffered due to GP negligence, they typically have until they reach the age of 21 to start a medical negligence claim or court proceedings.

Persons with a disability, and who lack capacity, are not subject to any limitation period.

No, you are very unlikely to have to go to court with a medical negligence claim.

The majority of cases are settled well before there is a need for court action. The Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, under NHS Resolution, will see most cases are dealt with, in conjunction with your solicitor, before a referral to court by either side.

Your solicitor will want to keep the GP negligence claim out of court and get it settled in your favour as quickly as possible.

If your claim is one of the very few cases that do go to court, it will be handled by your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor.

You may not need a medical negligence solicitor, but using a No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor may be the only way to a successful compensation claim.

The medical negligence solicitor will have experience dealing with the NHS, NHS Resolution, CNSGP, and insurance companies when handling a medical negligence claim.

A solicitor will know the causes of the medical negligence, discover who caused the medical negligence and outline the effects of the negligence by a medical professional.

The medical negligence solicitor should also operate a 100% Compensation Guarantee scheme. When you win the case, all the money awarded should go to you, not the solicitor.

A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will not charge you for a claim you do not win.

Yes, you can make a medical negligence claim on behalf of a loved one. 

A child cannot make a medical negligence claim until they turn 18, but they may need the compensation now to cover their medical costs and treatment. You can make the claim.

You can make a medical negligence claim for the loss of a loved one due to a fatal error by a medical professional. In the case of a loved one who has a disability or suffered brain damage due to medical negligence, the dependents can make a compensation claim.

In any medical negligence case, those left behind or caring for an injured person who cannot claim are known as ‘dependents.’ 

The dependents who can claim compensation for medical negligence can be:

  • A spouse or former spouse 
  • Someone who lived with the injured person for two years before the injury as a husband, wife, or civil partner.
  • Blood children, adopted children or those who became children through marriage or civil partnership
  • Parents and those acting as parents, such as a guardian or step-parents

You can make a compensation claim for the impact of the medical negligence on your life and that of your family.

 

We fight for our clients!

“Medical Negligence Team Law won my pharmacy negligence claim and I received 100% of the compensation recovered.”

Mr G.P. , South Yorkshire

“I fractured my wrist and Barts Hospital Trust in London failed to arrange appropriate follow up in the fracture clinic and as a result my surgery was delayed. Medical Negligence Team Law obtained all my medical records and radiology and quickly settled my claim. I received 100% of the compensation recovered with no deductions”

Mrs C.M., London

“Great service and communication from everyone at Medical Negligence Team Law throughout my claim. They handled my claim on a No Win No Fee basis and I received 100% of the compensation recovered.”

Miss A.W , Liverpool

“Your care and support was outstanding, making me feel supported and reassured and you kept in constant contact with any worries I had explained and swiftly responded to thank you, would recommend highly.”

Mr B.H., Brighton

“I required Tegretol medication for my underlying epilepsy and nocturnal seizure control but my pharmacy gave me something completely different by mistake. As a result after many years of having no seizures I had a number of seizures, a fall and needed time off work. The Medical Negligence Team got me the compensation I deserved including money for lost wages. They also paid 100% of the compensation to me with no deductions.”

Mr J.B., Kent

“My pharmacy issued me with quetiapine rather than venlafaxine which had a significant impact on my mental health. Andy, Anthony and the team at Medical Negligence Team were incredibly helpful and obtained compensation for the pain and suffering I endured as well as payment for loss of earnings. They paid all the compensation, 100%, to me. I would highly recommend them.”

Mrs S. R., Peterborough

“I am happy to accept the £3,000 compensation, I just want to thank you for helping me with this! Your service has been amazing!”

Miss M.P., West Yorkshire

“I needed surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. The NHS did the wrong operation first time round and they drained rather than remove the cyst. I then had to have a further operation to do the operation they should have done first time round with significant pain in between as the cyst came back. Medical Negligence Team quickly settled my claim. I received 100% of the compensation and was delighted with the service and communication throughout. They really are medical negligence experts”

Mrs T.S., South Yorkshire

“My pharmacy incorrectly gave me fast acting insulin causing problems with my blood sugars which made me very unwell for one month until the mistake was discovered. Medical Negligence Team Law quickly settled my claim and I received 100% of the compensation with no deductions.”

Mr G.W. , Lincolnshire

“Medical Negligence Team Law quickly settled my medical negligence claim and I received 100% of the compensation recovered. I would highly recommend them.”

Miss P.R , North Yorkshire

“Following open surgery in October 2022 I continued to have pain in my wound. It was discovered a piece of drain had been left inside me causing me pain and suffering and the need to have a further surgical procedure to remove it. In June 2023 Medical Negligence Team Law completed my claim and I got 100% compensation awarded. Thank you.”

Mrs B, Hertfordshire

“My late father had a fall in hospital breaking his hip which required surgery. The fall was due to a lack of supervision. Medical Negligence Team won our case and got us the compensation we deserved. We received 100% of the compensation recovered. Many thanks to all the team at Medical Negligence Team. Would definitely recommend them.”

Mr D.C., Nottingham

“Medical Negligence Team Law quickly settled my claim. They were friendly and helpful throughout the whole process and above all I received 100% compensation recovered with no deductions.”

Mr S.B., Northamptonshire

“Our pharmacist gave my husband the incorrect medication and while on holiday and taking the medication my husband became seriously ill. We had to rush home from Spain as a result of this. Medical Negligence Team recovered the costs for our abandoned trip and compensation for the pain my husband endured while he was recovering. They were very friendly, responsive and we received 100% of the compensation with no deductions.”

Mrs A.P., Worksop

“A leaking IV iron infusion caused permanent staining to my arm. I received £13,000 compensation,100% with no deductions. Would recommend Medical Negligence Team to anyone.”

Mrs R. R., South Yorkshire