Medical negligence and claims

Legal action is needed if you want financial compensation for medical negligence.

If you take legal action whilst you are making a complaint through the NHS complaints process, the NHS will immediately stop the complaints process.

This doesn’t stop you taking legal advice, or from taking legal action once you have got to the end of the NHS complaints process.

Legal action must be started within three years of the event you are complaining about.

• For children, this starts when they are sixteen
• There is no time limit for children without capacity

You should consult a specialist Clinical Negligence Solicitor if you want to take legal action.

Find Clinical Negligence Solicitors at The Law Society of Scotland.  (Area of law: Accident and injury and then Medical negligence)

Find information about medical claims at AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents)

Law Society of Scotland link: Find a Solicitor | Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk)