When medical care goes wrong, you're left dealing with the harm and with a system that closes ranks. Connaught Law's medical negligence solicitors act for patients and families across the UK — against NHS trusts, private hospitals, GPs and dentists — with claims handled sensitively and built on independent expert evidence.
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How We Can Help
Hospital & NHS Negligence
We bring claims arising from hospital care that fell below a reasonable standard — A&E failures, medication and monitoring errors, hospital-acquired harm, neglect on wards and failures in aftercare. Claims against NHS trusts are handled by NHS Resolution, and bringing one does not affect your right to ongoing NHS treatment.
Our medical negligence compensation guide explains how claims are valued and what the process involves, step by step.
Misdiagnosis & Delayed Diagnosis
A missed or late diagnosis — cancer above all — can transform an illness from treatable to life-changing. These claims turn on what would have happened with a timely diagnosis, and we work with independent specialists to establish exactly that. Our misdiagnosis claims guide covers the common scenarios and how they are assessed.
Surgical & Treatment Errors
Surgery carries risk — but wrong-site operations, retained instruments, anaesthetic errors and negligent post-operative care are not risks you consented to. We also act where consent itself was the failure: where you weren't properly warned of material risks and alternatives, and would have chosen differently if you had been.
Birth Injury Claims
Injuries to mother or baby during pregnancy and delivery are the most serious cases we handle — cerebral palsy and brain injury claims must fund care, therapy and adapted living for decades. Legal aid remains available for children with severe neurological birth injuries, and we advise on the right funding route case by case. Our birth injury compensation guide explains these claims in detail.
GP, Dental & Private Care
Negligence isn't confined to hospitals. We act on failures in GP practice — symptoms dismissed, referrals not made, results not followed up — and in dental and private treatment, including cosmetic procedures. Private care claims run against the clinician or clinic and their insurers rather than NHS Resolution, and we handle both routes.
Fatal Claims & Inquests
Where negligent care leads to a death, we act for families in fatal accident claims and represent them at inquests — often the first place the full facts emerge. These cases are run with the care they demand, and the inquest's findings frequently shape the claim that follows.
How We Work
Medical negligence claims must prove two things: that your care fell below a reasonable standard, and that the failure — not the underlying condition — caused the harm. That second step is where most claims are won or lost, so we obtain your records and instruct independent medical experts early, and we tell you honestly whether the evidence supports a claim before you invest years in one. The pre-action protocol for clinical disputes then requires a detailed letter of claim and a reasoned response — most cases settle without a trial.
Time limits: generally three years from the negligent treatment or from when you first connected your harm to it, under the Limitation Act 1980. Children have until their 21st birthday, and no limit runs while a person lacks mental capacity. Records and recollections fade quickly — the earlier we see your case, the stronger it is.
Why Connaught Law
01Honest merits advice earlyThese are demanding claims to prove. We assess the records and expert position first — and tell you plainly whether your case has the evidence.
02The right expertsClaims stand or fall on independent specialist opinion. We instruct recognised experts in the right discipline, not the nearest available name.
03Senior attention throughoutYour claim is run by our experienced litigation team, not passed down — with direct access to the person handling it.
04No win, no feeMost claims run under a conditional fee agreement, with funding options — including legal aid where it still applies — explained before you commit.
Fee structures and funding options are set out on our fees page — we discuss costs openly before you commit to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim against the NHS, and will it affect my care?
Yes — claims against NHS trusts are handled by NHS Resolution, the health service's own claims body, and compensation is paid from its schemes rather than by the individual clinician. Bringing a claim does not affect your entitlement to ongoing NHS treatment, and you can continue being treated at the same hospital.
How long do I have to bring a medical negligence claim?
Generally three years from the treatment or from the date you first realised your harm might be linked to it. Children have until their 21st birthday, no time limit runs while someone lacks mental capacity, and fatal claims run three years from the death. Records disappear and memories fade — start early.
What do I have to prove?
Two things, with independent expert evidence: that your care fell below the standard of a reasonably competent practitioner in that field, and that this failure — rather than your underlying condition — caused the harm. A poor outcome alone is not negligence, which is why we assess both elements honestly before advising you to proceed.
What will it cost?
Most medical negligence claims are funded by a no win no fee agreement, so there is nothing to pay up front. Legal aid remains available for severe neurological birth injury cases. Our fees page explains our fee structures, and we set out the funding position before you decide anything.
Harmed by care that went wrong?
Tell us what happened. We'll review your treatment, give you an honest view of whether you have a claim, and explain the funding options — before you commit to anything.
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