What is GP medical negligence?

GP negligence occurs when a General Practitioner (GP) breaches their duty of care, providing substandard treatment that causes harm. For victims of incompetent or poor-quality medical treatment, the effects can be hard to bear. In this blog, we’ll explain exactly what constitutes GP medical negligence and help you understand your options if you or a loved one suffered harm due to poor care.

Breach of duty?

General Practitioners (GPs) are typically the first point of contact for patients with health concerns. This makes their role crucial in deciding the appropriate next steps for a patient. In cases where early diagnosis is important, GPs have the responsibility of referring patients to a suitable specialist.

A breach of duty refers to an instance where the level of care fell below what a “reasonably competent” doctor would provide. Everybody makes mistakes, of course, but if these mistakes fall below a reasonable standard of care and result in harm, they may constitute GP medical negligence.

Misdiagnoses and delays

Common examples of GP negligence include misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose a condition, failing to refer a patient to a specialist and prescribing the wrong medication or dosage. In all of these cases, if the patient suffers harm as a result of their substandard treatment, they may have a case for medical negligence.

The NHS has recently adopted new guidance for GPs to “reflect, review and rethink” when a patient returns three or more times with the same unresolved symptoms following the tragic case of Jessica Brady, who died aged 27 following more than 20 GP consultations in which her cancer went undiagnosed.

Impact of GP medical negligence

When a patient visits their GP and receives a misdiagnosis or is left undiagnosed, the consequences can be fatal. A disease may progress to an advanced stage before it is identified, while wrongly prescribed medication can lead to side effects and complications.

GP negligence can have more than a physical impact on its victims. The emotional consequences of medical negligence include anxiety and depression, as well as resentment and a loss of trust in healthcare professionals. Equally, negligent medical care can have severe financial consequences if the patient is not able to work.

Get in touch

If you believe your GP’s actions may have caused harm to you or a loved one, our medical negligence team can advise on your options. We offer you a free initial assessment of your claim, with a qualified medico-legal adviser.

Learn more about the services our friendly lawyers can provide here, drop us an email to enquiries@attwaters.co.uk or call 0330 221 8855 to find out how we can help.