Advice On Claims For NHS Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence

By Megan Cullen. Last Updated 11th January 2023. If you’ve been the victim of NHS Walk-in centre medical negligence, you may be feeling let down and angry. You would expect a certain standard of care to be met at such a centre. If they are not, it could not only impact you physically, but mentally and financially too. In this guide, we are looking at NHS clinical negligence at walk-in centres and what it can mean for patients who are let down. While no compensation amounts could totally make up for the incident, compensation payouts for medical negligence could help you move on after such an event. But how do you know whether you could have a valid care service negligence claim? And how could you go about making one?

NHS walk-in centre medical negligence claims guide

NHS walk-in centre medical negligence claims guide

This guide explains what could potentially constitute NHS clinical negligence at a walk-in centre. We explain how compensation amounts could be arrived at and what sort of compensation payouts you could receive for a variety of injuries and illnesses. In the later sections of this guide, we offer some examples of what negligence you could potentially suffer and explain what treatment you could receive. Finally, we answer some common questions about negligence claims, and show you how we could offer you advice and support. We could even connect you with a lawyer who could assist with your claim against an NHS walk-in centre for medical negligence. To benefit from our advice and support, simply call 0161 696 9685.

Select A Section

A Guide On Claims For NHS Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence

Whether you visit a walk-in centre for treatment for a minor injury or illness, or for an infection, you would expect to receive a safe standard of care. But what if you don’t? What if you receive treatment or advice that makes you worse, not better. Or you’re misdiagnosed and receive treatment you don’t need? This guide explains what you may need to know before you begin a claim.

In the sections below, we offer guidance on how to make an NHS walk-in centre complaint, taking you through the NHS complaints procedure and explaining how you could contact the NHS Ombudsman should you not be happy with their response. We also examine in detail what could constitute medical negligence in a walk-in centre, answering questions such as:

  • Can you sue the NHS for negligence?
  • How much does medical negligence cost the NHS?
  • What is the average payout for medical negligence UK?
  • Who can use NHS walk-in Centre?

Further to this, we explain how solicitors and courts calculate compensation payouts. We also explain how we could offer free legal advice or connect you with a No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor to assist with your claim.

Claiming Against The NHS – Compensation Payouts (Examples)

If you have been harmed due to a medical professional breaching their duty of care, you could potentially make a claim. Following a successful claim, your compensation settlement could include general and special damages.

General damages compensate you for the harm you have suffered due to medical negligence. Below, we have created a table to help you gain a clearer idea of how much compensation you could receive if you were to make a claim for medical negligence. The compensation payouts listed have been taken from the 16th edition of the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG is a document used by many legal professionals when valuing claims, as it lists compensation brackets for various injuries at different severities.

However, you should only use this table as a guide. How much compensation you receive will be affected by the factors of your claim.

InjuryNotesAmount
EpilepsyEstablished petit mal epilepsy. How much is awarded will depend on various factors such as the effect on social/working life and the prognosis.£54,830 to £131,370
BladderSerious impairment of the bladder's control that causes some pain and incontinence.£63,980 to £79,930
Lung DiseaseImpaired breathing with frequent coughing and impaired lung function due to a disease such as emphysema.£54,830 to £70,030
KidneyA significant risk of developing a future UTI or the kidney's natural function being lost.Up to £63,980
Chest InjuriesDamage to the lungs and chest that cause a continuing disability.£31,310 to £54,830
AsthmaThe person will need to use an inhaler due to chronic asthma that causes breathing problems.£26,290 to £43,010
HerniaContinuing pain with a limitation on employment and sports after repair.£14,900 to £24,170
Female Reproductive SystemA delay in diagnosing an ectopic pregnancy but the person's fertility is not affected. How much is awarded will depend on any pain, bleeding or if a Fallopian tube needs to be removed.£3,390 to £20,430
Digestive System (b)(ii)Short-lived serious food poisoning that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. This will last between 2-4 weeks.£9,540 to £19,200
Psychiatric Damage GenerallyLess Severe - How much is awarded will depend on various factors such as how much sleep was impacted and the length of disability.£1,540 to £5,860

Special damages compensate you for the financial losses you have suffered due to being harmed by medical negligence. Medical expenses, loss of earnings, and travel costs could all be compensated with special damages. However, you will need to provide evidence of these losses to support your claim. Evidence could include invoices, payslips, and receipts.

Contact our team of advisors today to see whether you could make a claim if you have been harmed due to medical negligence in a hospital walk-in center. If you are still wondering whether you could claim against the NHS and the compensation payouts that could be awarded following a successful medical negligence claim, get in touch.

Medical Negligence Examples

If a medical professional provides care that is below the minimum standard, and harm is caused as a result, this could be considered medical negligence. This can apply to doctors, nurses and administration staff that work at hospitals. If you have suffered due to medical negligence, you could potentially claim.

This list below includes some medical negligence examples:

  • A wrong or missed diagnosis
  • An error made during surgery
  • An error made during the administration or prescribing of medicine
  • An illness being transmitted because of unsanitary conditions
  • Lack of appropriate treatment

We give you more information about medical negligence law and how to claim in the following sections but if you would like to receive personal medical negligence advice our advisers are available and can speak to you about your situation at any time.

Who Are The Top Providers Of Walk-In Centre Services?

You may assume that the NHS provides all walk-in centre services but this is not the case. While the initial set up of NHS walk-in centres were nurse-led and run by the NHS, it became necessary for the NHS to encourage independent sector company involvement with the NHS in an effort to reduce waiting times.

Walk-In Centre Service Providers

  1. Care UK
  2. Virgin Care
  3. Malling Health
  4. The Practice
  5. The Hurley Group
  6. Primecare
  7. Bondcare Medical Services
  8. Danum Medical Services
  9. DMC Healthcare
  10. GTD Primary Care
  11. Local Care Direct
  12. One Medicare

What Services Do Walk-In Centres Provide?

Walk-in centres provide assessment and treatment for minor injuries and illnesses. This could include:

  • Sexual health advice and STI testing
  • Emergency contraception services
  • Minor injury assessment and treatment
  • Minor illness assessment and treatment

What Duty Of Care Does A Walk-In Centre Owe Patients?

An NHS walk-in centre has a duty of care towards those accessing its services. In general terms, the duty of care a healthcare professional has is to ensure that their actions do not cause avoidable harm to a patient. They must also adhere to the relevant safe standard of care. Failure to give care at this standard could constitute negligence. To make a claim for medical negligence you must apply the Bolam Test. You must be able to prove that a medical professional of the same standard would have acted differently therefore not causing harm to the patient.

Types Of Medical Negligence Which Could Injure Patients?

Generally, medical negligence could fall into one of the below categories.

  • Contributory negligence – This could happen in cases where the patient is responsible for their own injury. In such cases, it may not be possible for the injured party to claim
  • Vicarious liability – These are claims made against the organisation that is responsible for its staff, and a staff member is negligent. For example, you could claim against the NHS because a nurse employed by them was negligent.
  • Comparative negligence – This means the patient has contributed to their own injury. In such cases it may still be possible to claim but compensation could be reduced.
  • Gross negligence – this involves the complete disregard of a medical professional as to patient safety. In such cases, a medical professional, if found liable, could lose their licence to practice.

Common Types Of Clinical Errors

As there are so many different injuries ailments that could strike a person, there are many ways in which patients could experience harm from medical negligence. Examples could include:

  • A negligent failure to diagnose an illness, causing it to continue without treatment
  • A failure to refer a patient for tests or to another practitioner so they could receive an accurate diagnosis
  • Negligent advice causes a patient’s injury or illness to become worse
  • Negligent prescription errors which could cause undertreatment or overdose
  • Medications prescribed together that should not be because they could cause a drug interaction

If you’re unsure whether an NHS walk-in centre incident could constitute negligence our team could assess this for you. We could offer free legal advice on the steps you could take.

Healthcare Acquired Infections

Healthcare service premises should be kept clean and sanitary. If this does not happen, a patient could potentially acquire an infection, which could cause a number of symptoms. In terms of infections and viruses, a healthcare service provider should make sure they are taking all steps possible to stop any transmission. If they do not wipe down services, wear a mask, or wash their hands, you could become ill. There are lots of illnesses and infections that you could suffer due to non-sanitary conditions. Call our advisors for a free claims assessment. If they can see you have a chance of being awarded compensation they will ask if you would like to be connected to a medical negligence solicitor.

Negligent Care Of Minor Injuries

You can visit an NHS walk-in centre with a minor illness. You should check before you go whether they deal with a health complaint like yours. Different walk-in centres vary by the services they offer. It is vital that whatever you attend with is diagnosed and treated so that you can make a speedy recovery. Negligent care of minor injuries could include:

  • Negligent failure to refer for scans/x rays to rule out a broken ankle bone injury
  • A doctor acted negligently which caused a misdiagnosis of a sprain when a bone was broken
  • Negligent care of an eye injury, causing loss of sight
  • Failure to clean a wound before stitching, causing infection
  • Incorrect dosage of pain medication leading to overdose

These are just a few examples. If you believe you could have a valid case for compensation, we could provide you with free legal advice. We could also connect you with a solicitor to begin your claim for you.

When Can You Use A Walk-In Centre?

You could use an NHS walk-in centre if you aren’t currently registered with a GP, or cannot get an appointment with one and believe you need medical attention. You should not visit a walk-in centre if you believe your condition is life-threatening. However, you could go to an urgent treatment centre or walk-in centre if you need help with:

  • Emergency contraception
  • Bites, stings, cuts and grazes
  • Strains and sprains
  • Suspected broken bones
  • Coughs/Colds
  • High temperature (children)
  • Throat or ear infections
  • Rashes and skin infections
  • Eye issues
  • Diarrhoea and vomiting
  • Stomach pain
  • Minor burn injury or scald
  • Head injuries, if they are minor

If you’re not sure where to go with an injury or illness, you could visit NHS 111 to take a survey that could help you.

Find An NHS Walk-In Centre Close To You

If you believe you could be in need of medical attention for minor illnesses or injuries, and you think an urgent care centre or walk-in centre could help you, you don’t have to search for NHS walk-in clinic near me. You could simply check the NHS website. On the site, you’ll be able to search for local services near to you.

You could also use the NHS 111 service to be directed to the service that would best suit your needs.

How Does The NHS Complaints Process Work?

The NHS Constitution gives every patient the right to complain about any aspect of its care. If you would like to make a complaint about your treatment, the NHS has offered guidance on doing so. To make a complaint you can:

  • Speaking to the staff at the place where you received treatment
  • Contacting the Patient Advice and Liaison Service
  • Getting in touch with NHS England for complaints relating to GPs, opticians, dentists or pharmacies
  • Contacting the local CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) for complaints about care at a hospital, out of hours services, mental health services, 111 or community services such as district nurse care

The NHS advise you to complain within 12 months of an incident. If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, you could take your case to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. If you’d like free legal advice on whether your complaint could lead to compensation, please contact our team. We’d be happy to offer you guidance and support.

No Win No Fee Claims For NHS Walk-In Centre Medical Negligence

If you would like to begin a claim for NHS Walk-in centre medical negligence, you might prefer to have a medical negligence solicitor take care of all the legalities of your claim. If you’re worried about paying legal fees, you might be pleased that some solicitors work under No Win No Fee terms. In such cases, you wouldn’t pay any legal fees until your compensation payout comes through. You would only pay your solicitor a success fee if they arranged a compensation payout for you.

How Do No Win No Fee Payment Arrangements Work?

Your solicitor will send you a Conditional Fee Agreement detailing a success fee as a small percentage of your eventual payout. It would also be capped and only payable if compensation is achieved.

Once you sign the agreement, your solicitor would be able to begin the claims process for you. They would approach the liable party and try to negotiate a payout for you. If the liable party disputes or refuses your claim, your solicitor could help you take the case to court.

When your payout comes through, your chosen medical negligence solicitor will deduct the agreed success fee, and you’ll benefit from the balance. If, for some reason, your case fails, you won’t pay your solicitor’s success fee, or their costs. We have produced a guide that explains more about these terms. If you have further questions, we’d be happy to answer them; all you need to do is call us.

Get In Contact With Us

If we think you could have a valid claim for medical negligence compensation, we could connect you with a personal injury solicitor to get you started on your claim. To get in touch, simply:

Related Clinical Negligence Claims Guides

Care Home Death Negligence Claims – You can read about the types of cases that could lead to someone claiming for a care home death here.

Claiming With A Pre-existing Condition – If you have a condition that has been exacerbated by NHS Walk-in centre medical negligence, this could be useful to you.

Hospital Acquired Infection Claims – If you’ve acquired an infection from a healthcare facility, this guide could be helpful.

Clinical Negligence Scheme For General Practice – Here, you can read about the state indemnity scheme for general practice claims.

Clinical Negligence Coronavirus Scheme – You can read about NHS Resolution’s scheme aiming to meet liabilities arising from healthcare arrangements due to coronavirus here.

NHS Resolution Annual Report – You can view NHS Resolution’s annual report here.

Other Medical Negligence Guides

Clinical Negligence Statistics

According to NHS figures from 2020, there were 11,682 new claims made in 2019/20. For a breakdown into the speciality please see the graph below.

Page by OS

Published by AL.