Skip to main content
  • About
  • News & Insights
  • Careers
  • International
Call us Free on 0800 121 6567
Dialog that contains search functionality
Irwin Mitchell Logo
  • Personal
    • Personal
    • Personal Home
    • Personal Injury Claims
      • Personal Injury Claims
      • Personal Injury Claims Home
      • Abuse Claims
      • Accidents In Public Places Claims
      • Criminal Injury Compensation Claims
      • Accident At Work Claims
      • Air, Rail & Maritime Claims
      • Asbestos & Mesothelioma Claims
      • Changing Solicitors During a Personal Injury Claim
      • Group Claims
      • Holiday Accidents & Illness Claims
      • Illness Compensation Claims
      • Industrial Disease Claims
      • Injury Types
      • Military Injury Compensation Claims
      • No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claims
      • Personal Injury Claims In Scotland
      • How To Claim Compensation For Personal Injury
      • Product Liability Claims
      • Road Traffic Accident Claims
      • Serious Injury Claims
      • Who Can Help?
      • Support Services
    • Medical Negligence Claims
      • Medical Negligence Claims
      • Medical Negligence Claims Home
      • Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Birth Injury Claims
      • Cauda Equina Syndrome Claims
      • Never Event Claims
      • Ambulance & Paramedic Medical Negligence Claims
      • Cosmetic Surgery Claims
      • Private Healthcare Claims
      • Cerebral Palsy Claims
      • Defective Medical Device Claims
      • Dental Negligence Claims
      • Diabetes Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Fatal Medical Negligence Claims & Inquests
      • GP Negligence Claims
      • Hospital Negligence Claims
      • What Is Medical Negligence?
      • Meningitis Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Failure To Prevent Suicide Claims
      • Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Ophthalmic Negligence Claims
      • Pregnancy & Gynaecology Injury Claims
      • Sepsis Negligence Claims
      • Pharmacy And Medication Negligence Claims
      • Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust Maternity Care Claims
      • Stroke Misdiagnosis Claims
      • Surgery Compensation Claims
    • Counselling
      • Counselling
      • Counselling Home
      • Counselling Myths Dispelled
    • Family Law
      • Family Law
      • Family Law Home
      • Divorce Solicitors
      • Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreement Solicitors
      • Child Abduction Solicitors
      • Civil Partnership Solicitors
      • LGBT+ Family Law Solicitors
      • Unmarried Couples' Rights
      • Divorce Financial Settlement Solicitors
      • Child Arrangement Orders
      • Family Mediation
      • Out of Court Divorce Solicitors
      • Separation Agreement Solicitors
      • Adoption & Surrogacy Solicitors
    • Wills, Trusts & Estates
      • Wills, Trusts & Estates
      • Wills, Trusts & Estates Home
      • Estate Planning Solicitors
      • Powers Of Attorney
      • Trusts
      • Will Writing Services
      • Will Disputes & Contentious Probate
    • Conveyancing & Property Solicitors
      • Conveyancing & Property Solicitors
      • Conveyancing & Property Solicitors Home
      • Conveyancing Fees Calculator
      • Buying A Property
      • Selling A Property
      • Remortgage
      • Transfer Of Equity
      • Buy To Let
      • Freehold Purchase (Leasehold Enfranchisement) Solicitors
      • Lease Extension Solicitors
      • Conveyancing Guide
      • Residential Property Disputes
    • Tax
      • Tax
      • Tax Home
      • Business Tax
      • Inheritance Tax
      • International Tax
      • Professional Negligence
      • HMRC Tax Investigations
      • Tax Disputes & Litigation
      • Tax Residence
      • Tax Returns & Compliance
      • UK Resident Non-Doms
      • Wealth Structuring
    • Probate
      • Probate
      • Probate Home
      • International Probate
      • Probate Sale Conveyancing
      • What Is Probate & How Does It Work?
    • Will, Trust & Estate Disputes
      • Will, Trust & Estate Disputes
      • Will, Trust & Estate Disputes Home
      • Trust Disputes
      • Inheritance Act Claims
      • Contesting A Will
      • Contentious Probate
      • Pre-Death Agreements
      • Professional Negligence
      • Challenging A Lifetime Gift
      • Financial Abuse
      • Statutory Will Disputes
      • Defending A Contested Will
    • Employment Solicitors
      • Employment Solicitors
      • Employment Solicitors Home
      • Employment Contract Solicitors
      • Employment Disputes
      • Dismissal & Redundancy Solicitors
      • Employment Discrimination Solicitors
      • Employment Lawyers for Legal Expenses Insurance
      • Harassment & Bullying At Work Solicitors
      • Parental & Family Friendly Employment Rights
      • Professional Discipline Solicitors
      • Recruitment & Promotion
      • Senior Executive Employment Lawyers
      • Settlement Agreements
      • Whistleblowing Solicitors
    • Elderly Legal Services
    • Protecting Your Rights
      • Protecting Your Rights
      • Protecting Your Rights Home
      • Actions Against The Police
      • Inquests
      • Environmental & Planning Law
      • Assessment & Treatment Unit Solicitors
      • Data Protection Breach Claims
      • Education Law
      • Healthcare & Social Services
      • Human Rights
      • Judicial Review
      • Mental Capacity
      • Professional Regulation & Discipline
      • Dispute Resolution
      • Legal Aid
    • Immigration Solicitors
      • Immigration Solicitors
      • Immigration Solicitors Home
      • British Citizenship & Naturalisation Solicitors
      • EU & EEA Immigration Solicitors
      • Indefinite Leave To Remain Solicitors
      • Spouse Visa Solicitors
      • Innovator Visa
      • Permanent Residence Solicitors
      • Business Immigration Solicitors
    • Crime & Investigations
      • Crime & Investigations
      • Crime & Investigations Home
      • Crime
      • Fraud & Financial Crime
      • Court Martial Solicitors
      • Motoring Offences Legal Advice
      • Regulatory Investigations & Enforcement
    • Insolvency
      • Insolvency
      • Insolvency Home
      • Business Restructuring & Insolvency
      • Debt Consultancy
      • Insolvency Disputes & Litigation
    • Court Of Protection
      • Court Of Protection
      • Court Of Protection Home
      • Court Of Protection Deputyship
      • Personal Injury Trusts
      • Court Of Protection Problems & Disputes
      • Healthcare and Social Services
      • Court of Protection Frequently Asked Questions
      • Powers Of Attorney Disputes
      • Statutory Wills Solicitors
  • Wealth Management
    • Wealth Management
    • Wealth Management Home
    • Asset Management For Personal Injury
    • Charity & Philanthropy
    • Estate Planning
    • Ethical & Sustainable Investing
    • Financial Planning
    • Intergenerational Wealth Management
    • Investment Management
    • Retirement Financial Planning
    • Family Offices
    • Succession Planning
    • Tax Planning
  • Business
    • Business
    • Business Home
    • Sectors
      • Sectors
      • Sectors Home
      • Agriculture & Rural Business
      • Retail, Leisure & Hospitality
      • Education
      • Financial & Professional Services
      • Landed Estates
      • Manufacturing
      • Real Estate
      • Sport
      • Technology & Communications
    • Banking & Finance
      • Banking & Finance
      • Banking & Finance Home
      • Corporate Banking
      • Leveraged & Acquisition Finance
      • Real Estate Finance
      • Receivables Finance & Asset Based Lending
    • Environmental, Social & Governance
      • Environmental, Social & Governance
      • Environmental, Social & Governance Home
      • Cyber Security
      • Environment
      • Net Zero
      • Social
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Governance
      • International
      • ESG Legal Advisory Services
      • Legislation Library
      • Manufacturing Sector
      • Real Estate
      • Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Sector
      • Sports Sector
    • Business Crime
      • Business Crime
      • Business Crime Home
      • Anti-Bribery & Corruption
      • Asset Tracing & Recovery
      • Cartels & Illegal Price Fixing
      • Cybercrime
      • Dawn Raids
      • Deferred Prosecution Agreements
      • Extradition
      • INTERPOL Red Notices
      • Mutual Legal Assistance
      • Private Prosecution
      • Proceeds Of Crime Act
      • Unexplained Wealth Orders
      • Fraud Lawyers
      • Insider Trading & Market Abuse
      • Corporate Internal Investigations
    • Business Immigration
      • Business Immigration
      • Business Immigration Home
      • Business Visitor Visa
      • Global Business Mobility Visas
      • Innovator Visa
      • Prevention Of Illegal Working
      • Skilled Worker Visas
      • Sole Representative Of An Overseas Business
      • UK Visa Sponsor License
    • Commercial
      • Commercial
      • Commercial Home
      • Commercial Contracts
      • Competition Law
      • GDPR & Data Protection
      • Information Technology
      • Sourcing
      • Notary Public Solicitors
    • Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution
      • Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution
      • Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution Home
      • Banking & Finance Litigation
      • Business Interruption Insurance Lawyers
      • Contract Disputes
      • Defamation & Reputation Management
      • International & Cross-Border Disputes
      • Commercial Debt Recovery
      • Litigation Funding
      • Professional Negligence
    • Corporate
      • Corporate
      • Corporate Home
      • Corporate Advisory
      • Equity Capital Markets
      • Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
      • Private Equity
      • Search Funds and Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Lawyers
    • Costs Team
    • Employment Law
      • Employment Law
      • Employment Law Home
      • Business Immigration
      • Employment Contracts, Policies & Procedures
      • Disciplinary & Grievance
      • Employee & Industrial Relations
      • Employment Lawyers for Legal Expenses Insurance
      • Employment Litigation & Resolution Lawyers
      • Equality, Diversity & Discrimination
      • Flexible Working Arrangements
      • Health & Safety
      • HR Advice Service - IMhrplus
      • Managing Sickness Absence
      • Pensions
      • Recruitment
      • Restrictive Covenants
      • Restructuring & Redundancy
      • Self Employment, Contractors & Agency Workers
      • Employment Seminars, Training & Updates
      • TUPE
    • In-House Counsel
    • Intellectual Property and Media
      • Intellectual Property and Media
      • Intellectual Property and Media Home
      • Defamation & Reputation Management
      • Copyright Lawyers
      • Design Rights Lawyers
      • Image Rights Lawyers
      • Online Marketplace Seller Account Or Listing Suspensions
      • Stopping IP Infringement By Sellers On Online Marketplaces
      • Patent Lawyers
      • Trade Mark Lawyers
      • Trade Secrets Lawyers
    • Legal Helpline
    • Licensing
      • Licensing
      • Licensing Home
      • Betting & Gaming Licensing
      • Event Licences
      • Alcohol Licensing
    • Pensions
      • Pensions
      • Pensions Home
      • Employment
      • Managing Death Benefit Trusts
    • Regulatory & Compliance
      • Regulatory & Compliance
      • Regulatory & Compliance Home
      • Road Transport & Operator Compliance
      • GDPR & Data Protection
      • Regulatory Investigations
      • Account Freezing Orders
      • Anti-Money Laundering
      • Companies House Prosecutions
      • Environment & Safety Regulatory Compliance
      • Financial Services Regulation
    • Real Estate
      • Real Estate
      • Real Estate Home
      • Corporate Occupiers
      • Real Estate Development and Regeneration
      • Construction & Engineering
      • Environmental
      • Real Estate Finance
      • Real Estate Investment
      • Later Living & Care
      • Planning
      • Property Litigation & Real Estate Disputes
      • Real Estate Tax
      • Residential Development
      • Strategic Land
      • Structured Real Estate
    • Restructuring & Insolvency
      • Restructuring & Insolvency
      • Restructuring & Insolvency Home
      • Corporate Insolvency
      • Partnership Insolvency
      • Directors' Duties
      • Restructuring Plans
      • Debt Recovery (up to £100,000) – Pricing
      • Restructuring
    • Tax
      • Tax
      • Tax Home
      • Corporate Tax
      • Real Estate Tax
      • Tax Investigations
  • People
    • People
    • People Home
    • Search By Name
    • Search By Location
    • Search By Expertise
    • Business Management
  • Offices
    • Offices
    • Offices Home
    • Birmingham
    • Brighton
    • Bristol
    • Cambridge
    • Cardiff
    • Chichester
    • Edinburgh
    • Gatwick
    • Glasgow
    • Leeds
    • Liverpool
    • London
    • Manchester
    • Middlesbrough
    • Newbury
    • Newcastle
    • North Yorkshire
    • Nottingham
    • Reading
    • Sheffield
    • Southampton
  • Contact
  • About
  • News & Insights
  • Careers
  • International
Irwin Mitchell Logo
Dialog with Irwin Mitchell phone number
Call us on 0800 121 6567

We're here 24/7, 365 days a year.

  • Home
  • Personal
  • Medical Negligence Claims
  • Private Healthcare Claims

Private Healthcare Claims

Trustpilot

If you’ve chosen private healthcare rather than use the NHS and something has gone wrong, you can still claim compensation. Our expert solicitors are here to help you claim against a private healthcare medical professional.

With waiting lists for NHS treatment increasing, you might have decided to pay for private healthcare. Given the money you’ll have spent on the treatment, if something has gone wrong, you’ll understandably be angry, upset, and frustrated.

In the past we’ve brought claims against many medical professionals operating in the private sector, such as private doctors, private surgeons, and private dentists. We’ve regularly brought claims on behalf of large groups of patients all of whom have been affected by the same doctor. These include:

  • Mr. Dixon
  • Mr. Paterson
  • Mr. Bhamra
  • Mr. Irvine
  • Mr. Shah
  • Mr. Williamson
  • Mr. Arun.
  • Mr Nair.

Whether you believe your medical professional has let just you down, or let many patients down, by contacting our team, you can see if you’re able to make a claim for private healthcare medical negligence.

Why choose us to help with your private healthcare negligence claim?

We’ve the largest medical negligence teams of any law firm in the UK. This wealth of experience means you’ll get access to some of the best legal minds in the UK.

You don’t have to just take our word for it. The Legal 500, an independent legal guide, constantly ranks our medical negligence team in their highest tier, Tier 1. One former client told them: “The team at Irwin Mitchell deliver exceptional professional medical negligence legal advice and support. Their medical experts are highly motivated and offer a friendly service.”

Another independent legal guide, Chambers and Partners, has ranked the team in their highest band, Band 1, for over 20 years.

Our experts understand that legal terminology can be confusing to people. They’ll be there to help you if you’ve any queries or concerns about your claim.

We’ve a history of being actively involved in major legal cases against private surgeons. We were involved in the case against Mr Ian Paterson who was jailed for wrongful breast surgery against over 1,500 patients.

Not only will you get access to some of the UK’s best legal help, you’ll also be supported by our Support and Rehabilitation team. Their role is to assess your care and financial needs, both now and in the future, and make sure you’ve got access to everything you need.

When you receive your compensation, you might be concerned about making sure your money pays for everything you need. Our Asset Management team can help you make the most of your compensation.

No Win No Fee*
Largest medical negligence team in the country
Offices across the UK
Representation at inquests

Call our experts FREE on:

0800 121 6567

Or we can call you back at a time of your choice

Phone lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year

Contact us today

For a free initial consultation

Freephone

0800 121 6567

Prefer not to call?

Use our form

This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.

Laura Daly
Laura Daly Partner Meet the team

Private Healthcare - More Information

The first step is to contact our team, who’ll take more information from you to understand who’s best to handle your claim. Your case will then be passed to a specialist case handler who has expertise in your injury.

Your case handler will then contact you to start your claim. At this point, we’ll also discuss funding options such as no win no fee agreements.

Using the information you give us, we’ll investigate the treatment that you’ve received and identify if there have been any failures in that treatment which ultimately caused your injury. It’s likely that we’ll instruct independent medical experts to assist us in this process.

These experts will provide reports on your treatment and the cause of your injury. Copies of these reports will be provided to you. Many of our clients tell us that these reports are helpful in them understanding what has happened and what caused their injury. 

If we identify failures in your care which caused your injury, we’ll contact the private doctor, to advise them of our findings and to see if they accept fault. If they do, we’ll discuss the possibility of getting you interim payments that can help cover the cost of any additional expenses you now have because of your injury, such as meeting the cost of rehabilitative therapies and equipment. We can also secure an interim payment to cover any losses you are suffering because you have been injured, for example, lost earnings from being unable to work.

If the private doctor doesn’t accept responsibility, our job will be to prove your injuries are their fault.

Sometimes your case might need to go to court. This could be because the private doctor doesn’t accept fault, or they don’t agree with our view on the amount of compensation that should be paid to you. We’ll try our hardest to keep your claim from going to court to avoid added stress for you. If we do need to go to court, we’ll be with you every step of the way.

Even when court dates are set, claims can be settled out of court right up until the start of the trial.

Due to the individual nature of all claims against private doctor , the amount of compensation you could receive will differ depending on your situation.

When we come to evaluate the value of your claim, we’ll consider many issues including:

  • The pain, suffering and loss of amenity you have endured because of your injury
  • Loss of earnings / pension
  • Equipment and adaptations (these can be big items such as house adaptations and/or wheelchairs, as well as much smaller items such as incontinence pads)
  • Current and future care needs
  • Travel and medical expenses.

When we learn more about your situation, we’ll be able to offer more guidance on how much compensation you could receive. Contact our team to discuss your circumstances.

As with the amount of compensation you could receive, the length of time your claim will take depends on your situation. The timeframe will always differ from claim to claim.

If the other side accepts fault immediately, this’ll speed the process of your claim up. If not, we’ll have to work to prove there were failures in your care which caused your injury, which will make your claim longer.

We’ll always work to resolve your claim as quickly as possible to allow you to start your recovery and rehabilitation.

No matter how long your claim takes, we’ll be by your side to make sure you get the best possible outcome.

You’ve three years from either when the negligence occurred, or you became aware that the treatment you received was negligent to commence Court proceedings. This means that if you don’t start legal proceedings within three years from which you first knew, or suspected, your claim may not be accepted by the courts.

Whilst this three-year time limit is usually strictly enforced by the Courts, it’s always worth seeking legal advice to pursue a claim even though the limitation period may have expired. 

However, you must do so without delay because the sooner you proceed the better chance you have of persuading the Court to set aside the statutory three-year limitation period.

There are some exceptions from the three-year ruling. These are:

  • Children – If the potential claim is on behalf of a person who was under the age of 18 years at the date of incident, the three-year time limit does not apply. Instead, Court Proceedings must be commenced within three years of the person's 18th birthday, i.e. by their 21st birthday.
  • Adult without mental capacity – If the person wishing to make a claim suffers from a disability affecting their mental functions, which prevents them managing their day-to-day life, then, provided certain tests are satisfied, there may be no time limit within which Court Proceedings must be commenced.

We can discuss time limits that might affect your claim when you contact our experts.

Yes, as with most of our private healthcare medical negligence claims, you can make a no win no fee claim for private healthcare medical negligence claims.

Read more about making a no win no fee claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is private healthcare?

Private healthcare is medical treatment that you pay for yourself, rather than getting it for free on the NHS. You’ll pay for the treatment either directly to the healthcare provider or through private medical insurance.

There are lots of different reasons why people opt for private healthcare. Many people wish to be seen more quickly and hope for better service. For others, it is their only option available. Whatever the reason, it is a growing sector with many more people opting for treatment in the private sector than ever before.

Examples of some private healthcare providers include:

  • Bupa UK
  • Aviva
  • Nuffield Health
  • Spire Healthcare Group
  • Circle Health Group (including BMI)
  • HCA Health Care UK
  • Ramsay Health Care UK.

If you’ve been treated by another private surgeon through another medical healthcare provider or insurer, contact our team to see if you can make a claim.


How are private healthcare negligence claims different to NHS claims?

The process of making a claim is the same as when you make a medical negligence claim against the NHS.

The only difference is that your claim will be made against the medical professional responsible for your care. This differs from NHS claims which are made against the NHS trust.

What private surgery or private treatment can I claim for?

You can make a medical negligence claim for any private treatment that went wrong or wasn’t done to a reasonable standard. The most common types of procedures we handle claims for include:

  • Hip replacement
  • Knee replacement
  • Cataract surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Upper GI endoscopy
  • Colonoscopy
  • Hernia repairs
  • Bladder examinations
  • Non-emergency appointments such as scans, tests, and routine surgeries
  • IVF treatment
  • Dental treatment
  • Cosmetic treatment.

If you’ve had a procedure privately that isn’t on that list, contact our team to see if you’re able to make a claim.

Read More FAQs

Related Information - Private Healthcare

Medical Negligence - we handle a variety of medical negligence claims
Wills, Estates & Probate - we can help you deal with the affairs relating to your loved one’s estate
Personal Injury Trusts - setting up a personal injury trust can protect your means tested benefits after a compensation award
Coping With Bereavement - we offer support to help with the grieving process

Scottish Flag All Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.

 

About Irwin Mitchell

Founded in Sheffield in 1912, Irwin Mitchell has always been a bit different. Our advisers really get to know the people and business that we help.

We have offices around the UK so wherever you are, our experts can help.

Contact Us

Give us a ring to speak to a member of our team in the strictest confidence. Or you can fill out our contact form and we'll ring you back.

0370 1500 100

Our phone lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year

Get a call back

Fill in your details below and we'll be in touch as soon as possible

This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.

  • Contact
  • 0370 1500 100
  • Contact Irwin Mitchell
  • Social Media
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • About Irwin Mitchell
  • About Us
  • Responsible Business
  • Careers
  • Business Management
  • Alumni Programme
  • Pay A Bill
  • Complaints Procedure
  • SRA Regulated
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy & Security
  • Hoaxes
  • Modern Slavery Act Statement
  • Manage Cookie Settings

© 2025  Irwin Mitchell LLP

Irwin Mitchell LLP is authorised & regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Our Regulatory Information

Dialog that contains a form to request a callback.

Request A Callback

Enter your details below and a member of our team will contact you within 24 hours

This data will only be used by Irwin Mitchell for processing your query and for no other purpose.