Clinical negligence

4 mins read

This advice applies across the UK.

If you believe your child has been injured due to poor medical treatment or advice, you should speak to a specialist solicitor as quickly as possible. Your child may be entitled to compensation.

What is clinical negligence?

Your child might be due compensation as a result of clinical negligence if, for example, he or she suffered an injury because a healthcare professional:

Made a mistake when you were pregnant with your child, during labour, childbirth and/or immediately following your child’s birth.
Failed to diagnose a condition, made the wrong diagnosis or delayed in making the correct diagnosis for your child’s condition
Made a mistake during a medical procedure or operation on your child.
Gave your child the wrong drug.
Failed to warn you appropriately, or at all, about the risks of a particular treatment or procedure with regard to your child.

Claiming compensation for clinical negligence

If your child has been injured as a result of poor medical treatment, he or she is entitled to make a compensation claim for the injuries they have suffered and also for the financial costs that have been incurred as a result of the injury.

If the claim is successful, the compensation will help to pay for the costs of your child’s past, current and future needs, such as specialist care, treatment and therapies, specialist equipment, suitably adapted accommodation and assistive technology. A claim can provide you with peace of mind that your child’s future needs will be provided for and enable you to focus on your family’s wellbeing.

Specialist solicitors will support you through the process of making a claim. They can also advise you on funding your child’s claim, for example through legal aid or a “no win, no fee” agreement.

To make a claim for compensation, a solicitor would need to obtain evidence from an expert to show that:

The medical professionals who treated you or your child provided substandard treatment.
That as a direct result of that substandard treatment, your child has suffered injury.

Step-by-step guide to making a claim

Our friends at national law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp (BBK) have put together a step-by-step guide on making a medical negligence claim.

Medical negligence: step-by-step guide

Including an explaination of the process and top tips for claimants.

medical negligence guide

Choosing a solicitor

We cannot recommend any particular firm, however we do work with solicitors who specialise in personal injury and clinical negligence cases. We are confident that they are reputable and supportive of the work we do. These include Bolt Burdon Kemp.

Bolt Burdon Kemp (BBK)

Bolt Burdon Kemp solicitors have more than 40 years of experience specialising in complex and serious injury compensation claims. They have a specialist Child Brain Injury team.

The firm has consistently been recognised as one of The Times’ Best Law Firms for personal injury and clinical negligence law in England and Wales. It is also ranked in the two Independent Guides to Law Firms. The latest edition (2026) to the Legal 500 quotes the team as “truly at the top of the game for this field of work and their empathy with clients, legal expertise and dedication all shine through on a consistent basis. There are no weak links.’” Chambers & Partners 2026 describes the clinical negligence team as “brilliant at what they do” and ‘extremely approachable and down to earth.’

You can have a free, no-obligation conversation with its team of solicitors who will listen to your story and let you know if they can help you in exploring a potential compensation claim for your child. They will explain the possible next steps and discuss options for funding the claim. From their London base, the BBK team can visit you at home, in hospital or another convenient location, anywhere in the country.

They offer practical support to their clients through their Early Support Service.

Bolt Burdon Kemp also supports Contact in various ways, including financial support to reach more families in need.

Speak with Caroline Klage or Claudia Hillemand to book an appointment.

You may also want to look into other options, such as using the NHS complaints procedure or complaining to your local Clinical Commissioning group.

Read our guide to the NHS and caring for a disabled child – England [PDF].
Visit Action for Medical Accidents (AVMA). AVMA provide free independent advice and support to people affected by medical accidents.
Visit Citizens Advice for information on complaints and clinical negligence.

Contact cannot recommend a particular solicitor and you must choose the right solicitor for you.

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