Can I claim?
Find out
Coodes are a leading medical negligence firm with over 40 years of experience in Cornwall and Devon. Our NHS negligence solicitors are known for delivering first class legal advice and guiding our clients through challenging and sensitive times.
If you’ve suffered an injury as a result of medical negligence by an NHS organisation or healthcare professional, you may be able to claim compensation.
The NHS is often known for being a ‘National Treasure’ and for providing a vital service for the public in the United Kingdom which the majority people have a good experience with. This in turn, understandably leads some people to be concerned when they are faced with making a claim of this nature.
We are of the view, however, that those who are negligent when carrying out this service should be held accountable for their actions, especially when the consequences are often severe and sometimes fatal.
If a doctor, nurse or any other medical professional has provided substandard treatment and care to you or a loved one, which has resulted in an injury, worsening of your medical condition, or in some cases, death, then you may be able to make a compensation claim against the NHS.
The aim of any compensation received is to attempt to put you back in the position you would have been in but for the negligence. It is not awarded to you so that you can benefit from any award financially but is simply there to fill the gaps in your life caused by the negligence.
Our clients are also quite rightly often motivated by the fact that in claiming compensation, they may also be highlighting the shortfalls in the NHS thereby preventing or reducing the risk of the same thing happening to someone else.
As above, our clients are often motivated by the fact that by bringing a claim they may prevent or reduce the risk of the same mistakes happening again in the future.
Indeed, it is common for the NHS trust involved to start internal investigations (often called Serious Incident Reports or Root Cause Analysis Reports) to find out why and how the injury happened. This can, in some instances, successfully lead to changes in procedures or protection introduced to prevent the same thing happening again.
In some cases, medical negligence can sadly lead to death. In certain circumstances, an Inquest may be called to find out the cause of the death and should the Coroner be concerned about the care received, he or she can make recommendations to the medical institutions/organisations involved so that deaths are prevented in the future.
Making the decision to claim against the NHS can be extremely difficult but if you or a loved one have suffered as a result of medical negligence, then you may have a legal right to claim compensation to help improve your situation.
No – if you are being treated by a medical institution/organisation that you wish to make a medical negligence claim against, you are well within your rights to continue treatment with them.
NHS negligence solicitors cannot make a difference to any internal action against those responsible for the negligence. A compensation claim runs separately to any other form of action, and as such it is the responsibility of other institutions and professional bodies to decide whether any action is taken directly against a medical professional.
For example, the General Medical Council (GMC) is an independent organisation that helps to protect patients and improve medical education and practice across the UK. In particular, this organisation can take action to prevent a doctor from putting the safety of patients, or the public’s confidence in doctors, at risk. If the GMC investigate a medical professional, and the results show that the negligent act happened again, or that a life was endangered, then they may impose sanctions preventing them from practising.
Our NHS negligence solicitors can talk you through how to make a complaint or referral to the GMC if appropriate.
Our NHS clinical negligence solicitors accept claims on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning that you won’t have to pay for anything unless you win your case.
If you have further questions or concerns about making a medical negligence claim for compensation against the NHS, then please call our specialist lawyers for a free initial consultation. Or book an appointment using the form below:
Can I claim?
Find out