Clinical negligence
Clinical negligence occurs when the care or treatment someone received from a health service was below the standard that is expected and this caused physical or psychological injury.
The information on this page is taken from our Clinical negligence factsheet (160 kb) ![[pdf]](http://www.rethink.org/display_images/document_icons/pdf.gif){kind=icon}
Examples of negligence might be being given the wrong diagnosis, being discharged too early from hospital which resulted in harm, not getting the right treatment or poor medication prescribing which caused a bad reaction.
You can make a clinical negligence claim about both NHS and private treatment.
How do I know if I have a clinical negligence claim?
If you think that you might have a clinical negligence claim you should contact someone who is specialised in this field for advice. You can find details of a clinical negligence solicitor by visiting the Community Legal Advice website www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk or if you contact the Rethink Advice & Information Service we would be happy to look for you.
What is the difference between clinical negligence and making a complaint?
When you make a clinical negligence claim you are asking for money to compensate you for harm or injury you experienced. A clinical negligence claim cannot result in an apology for what happened, cannot change practice or result in a healthcare professional being disciplined. If you are hoping for an outcome other than financial compensation it might be better for you to make a formal complaint.
You may be able to get legal funding to cover the costs of a claim.
