Have your symptoms been overlooked or has your treatment delayed? Did something go wrong during your surgery? Whatever has happened to you, it can be difficult to know if it amounts to medical negligence or not, and what you should do next.
“Can I sue a hospital for negligence, and where do I start?”
What is hospital negligence? What do the latest figures show?
Hospitals have a duty of care to ensure they deliver safe and timely treatment to all patients. And when you put your trust in a hospital with your care, you expect to be treated properly and to receive the expected standard of care. Hospital negligence can occur when the care provided by a hospital or healthcare professional falls below the standard you should reasonably expect and this causes you harm.
For example, your condition may have been missed, your treatment delayed, or a mistake may have been made when prescribing your medication.
The NHS Resolution shows that there were 14,428 new clinical negligence claims and reported incidents between 2024-25, compared with 13,784 the previous period.
Whether you have a claim will depend entirely on your own individual circumstances. Not every complication or unsuccessful treatment amounts to negligence. Medical treatments do carry risks, and complications can sometimes happen even when all appropriate care has been provided. If you are worried that something went wrong with your hospital treatment and the hospital is at fault, you do not need to work out whether you have a claim all on your own. A specialist solicitor can look at what happened, review your medical records and explain whether there may be grounds for a claim.
How to Sue a Hospital for Negligence?
The first step is to speak to a specialist medical negligence solicitor to help you understand and advise on your situation. You do not need to know exactly what has gone wrong or have any evidence in front of you before contacting a solicitor. Your solicitor can help you understand what has happened and why.
At the Medical Law Partnership, we always start by listening to what happened and understanding your experience in your own words. We will then look at your medical records and other medical evidence to understand whether your treatment was negligent and whether it caused the harm you have suffered. If there is evidence to support your claim, your solicitor can then advise you on the next steps and the compensation you may be able to recover.
Can I make a claim against an NHS hospital?
Yes, you can. If you have suffered negligent treatment in an NHS hospital, you may be able to make a claim against the relevant NHS Trust. Many clients don’t just make a claim just for financial support but also to highlight the issues in patient safety and prevent others experiencing a similar situation. Want to know more about this? Read our latest blog How To Sue the NHS For Negligence. This also applies to private hospitals too, as both must provide care that meets the right standard.
How much compensation could I be awarded?
There is no standard amount of compensation for hospital negligence. The value of a claim depends entirely on the nature and severity of your injury and how it has affected your life – both now and in the future. For example:
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of earnings
• Future financial losses
• Additional medical treatment or rehabilitation
• Care and support
• Travel expenses
• Specialist equipment
• Adaptations to your home
Your solicitor will look at the full impact the negligence has had on your life. The purpose of compensation is to put you, as far as money can, back in the position you would have been in had the negligence not occurred.
Why You Should Choose the Medical Law Partnership for Your Medical Claim?
We understand that contacting a solicitor can feel like a big step. And you may not know right now whether what has happened to you was negligent or whether making a claim is the right decision for you. Our role is to help you better understand your position and lay out your options so you can do what’s best for you.
At the Medical Law Partnership, we specialise in medical negligence claims and take the time to understand what happened before advising you on your options. If we believe you have a claim, our dedicated and knowledgeable team will handle all the legal work for you and keep you informed of the progress along the way. If we do not believe there are reasonable enough grounds for a claim, we will tell you honestly and explain why. There is no pressure to pursue a claim simply because you have contacted us.
Something went wrong with your hospital treatment? You deserve to understand what happened. We’re here to listen, investigate what happened and help you move forward.
Have a chat with the Medical Law Partnership team today.