GP Negligence claims.

GP negligence claims arise when a general practitioner fails to provide the standard of care expected of a reasonably competent GP, causing harm to the patient. GPs are the gatekeepers to specialist services: for most patients, nothing happens — no scan, no consultant, no urgent treatment — unless the GP recognises the problem and refers to the right specialty or, in an emergency, straight to A&E. That gatekeeping role is why GP failures sit behind so many serious claims.

Common GP negligence claims include failure to spot the signs of a serious condition and refer to the right specialist or the emergency department (missed cancers, sepsis, heart problems, cauda equina red flags), prescribing errors (wrong medication, wrong dose, dangerous drug interactions), failure to act on abnormal test results, inadequate examination or history-taking, and failure to follow up on patient concerns.

The urgent suspected cancer referral pathway (formerly known as the "two-week wait") is particularly relevant — NICE guideline NG12 sets out the red-flag symptoms that should prompt an urgent referral, and in England these referrals are now measured against the Faster Diagnosis Standard, which expects cancer to be confirmed or ruled out within 28 days. For care before October 2023, the two-week wait was the applicable standard. A failure to refer when symptoms clearly warranted it can be strong evidence of negligence.

GP practices carry medical defence organisation cover or NHS indemnity. Compensation depends on the harm caused by the delay or error. Failure to refer leading to advanced cancer typically settles for £100,000 to £500,000. Prescribing errors causing harm range from £10,000 to £200,000. The limitation period is 3 years from the date of injury or knowledge.