If you were injured due to walk-in centre negligence, you may be wondering how to go about making a clinical negligence claim. Our guide walks you through the process of seeking compensation, and what evidence is needed to support a medical practitioner negligence claim.
You could suffer an injury in a walk-in centre whether it is run by a private company or the NHS. If the injury or illness you sustained was through the negligence of a medical practitioner, you may have grounds to sue for compensation.
Our guide explains the process of making a medical negligence claim, and what evidence would be required to support your case. We provide information on the duty of care all medical professionals owe the people in their care. We offer advice on who can access walk-in centre medical services, and the treatments provided. We also cover how a No Win No Fee lawyer could act on your behalf once it has been determined you have a strong case of negligence on the part of a medical professional.
To find out more on how to claim for injuries sustained due to walk-in centre negligence, please continue reading our guide. To speak to a Legal Helpline adviser about making this type of claim, please call 0161 696 9685 today.
Jump To A Section
- A Guide To Claims For Walk-In Centre Negligence
- What Is Clinical Negligence At A Walk In Centre?
- Medical Practitioners Duty Of Care And Forms Of Negligence
- Who Can Access Walk-In Centre Medical Services?
- Where Is Your Nearest Walk-In Centre?
- What Treatment Could A Walk-In Centre Provide?
- How Could You Be Harmed At Walk-In Centre?
- Private Healthcare Providers Operating Walk-In Centres
- Could I Catch An Infection From A Walk-In Centre?
- How To Make A Complaint About A Walk-In Centre
- Calculating Compensation Claims Against NHS Walk-In Centres
- No Win No Fee Claims For Walk-In Centre Negligence
- Make An Enquiry
- Need More Help?
A Guide To Claims For Walk-In Centre Negligence
Our guide to walk-in centre negligence claims covers injuries suffered in a centre run by the NHS or the private sector. We explain what clinical negligence at a walk-in centre entails and how all medical professionals owe their patients a duty of care. We offer advice on who may access treatment in a walk-in centre, and the type of treatments and services provided.
Walk-in-centre negligence claims guide
Our guide offers essential reading on how you may be harmed when being treated in a walk-in centre whether it is run by the private sector or the NHS. We explain how you could catch a type of infection when being treated, and how you have the right to lodge a complaint against those who run a walk-in centre should this occur.
We also provide an idea on how much this type of claim for negligence might be worth with the amounts provided being based on the Judicial College Guidelines. Our guide explains how a Conditional Fee Agreement works, and how you could benefit from having a No Win No Fee lawyer represent you.
To find out more, or if you have any questions regarding a clinical negligence claim you are hoping to make, please contact Legal Helpline today.
What Is Clinical Negligence At A Walk In Centre?
All medical professionals in the UK, which includes doctors, nurses and other qualified practitioners, owe patients a duty of care. Failure to ensure that the well-being and health of a patient are maintained could result in medical negligence (also known as clinical negligence).
A medical professional may be negligent due to committing a medical error, or because their actions were deemed negligent. As a consequence of their negligence, a patient they are treating could suffer an injury, or an existing health issue is made worse.
If you believe the medical practitioner who treated you failed in their duty of care towards you, please contact a member of the Legal Helpline team to find out whether you have a valid clinical negligence claim.
Medical Practitioners Duty Of Care And Forms Of Negligence
The National Health Service (NHS) Act of 2006 sets out the laws relating to the duty of care that all medical practitioners owe the people in their care. All medical professionals must provide reasonable care to patients and should treat patients to the standards expected of them. All medical practitioners must be correctly trained and obtain the correct qualification to practice medicine in the United Kingdom.
When defining ‘reasonable care’, a medical professional is legally obliged to exercise reasonable caution when doing the following:
- Advising patients in their care
- Diagnosing a suspected condition
- Administering medication and treatments
There are some accepted categories when it comes to medical negligence, although all claims are unique and would be judged as such. These categories are detailed below:
- Contributory negligence – should this be the case, it would be deemed that you, the patient, contributed to any health issues you developed. An example is that you were prescribed certain medication by a medical practitioner but you failed to take it.
- Vicarious liability – this would involve you making a negligence claim against the company/organisation that manages the walk-in centre where you were treated. They would be deemed responsible because they chose to employ and manage the medical practitioner you are claiming against. If they are deemed negligent and therefore failed in the duty of care towards you, their employer could be liable. An example would be filing a negligence claim against the NHS for a medical practitioner who works in a walk-in centre run by the NHS
- Gross negligence – this is classed as the most serious form of medical negligence and would involve a medical professional disregarding any sort of duty of care they owe a patient.
To speak to a Legal Helpline adviser about any form of medical negligence, please call the number at the top of this page.
Who Can Access Walk-In Centre Medical Services?
Should you suffer any of the following injuries or ailments, you can visit a walk-in centre for the needed treatment. However, if you are suffering from a life-threatening injury, you would not be treated in a walk-in centre but rather in the Accident and Emergency department of a hospital.
The situation may also be different for children. There are dedicated walk-in centres for those under 18. So if you attend with a minor at an adult walk-in centre, you may be asked to go to a different location where they specialise in injuries to children.
To speak to a member of the Legal Helpline team about a walk-in centre negligence claim, please get in touch today.
Where Is Your Nearest Walk-In Centre?
You can find your nearest walk-in centre by using the NHS Service Search tool. This search tool allows you to find the location of the following:
- Pharmacy
- NHS repeat prescription ordering service
- Urgent care
- Sexual health
- Pregnancy
- GPs
- Dentist
- Optician
- Hospitals
- Mental health
- Other NHS services
To speak to a Legal Helpline adviser about making a walk-in centre negligence claim, please get in touch with a member of our team today.
What Treatment Could A Walk-In Centre Provide?
If you need urgent medical treatment, you can go to a walk-in centre. However, if your condition is life-threatening, you would need to go to the Accident and Emergency department of your nearest hospital.
The conditions which can be treated as a matter of medical urgency in a walk-in centre include the following:
- Sprains/strains
- Suspected broken bones
- Minor injuries to the head
- Cuts/grazes
- Bites/stings
- Minor scalds/burns
- Ear or throat infections
- Skin infections/rashes
- Eye issues
- Coughs/colds
- High temperature (fever) both adults and children
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Emergency contraception
Due to coronavirus, it is now possible to be Covid 19 tested at a walk-in centre. It could be possible to be vaccinated against coronavirus too. You can use the NHS search tool to find out more.
How Could You Be Harmed At Walk-In Centre?
If you went to a walk-in centre for treatment and believe the medical professional you saw was negligent in their duty of care, you may have grounds to seek compensation.
Walk-in centres deal with the more minor medical emergencies which include infections, fractures, changing dressings, and more minor burns.
If the medical practitioner treating you commit any of the following, you could have a claim:
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to refer you
- Providing incorrect treatment
- Prescription or medication error
To speak to an adviser about claiming compensation for injuries or illnesses sustained through walk-in centre negligence, please contact a member of the Legal Helpline team today.
Private Healthcare Providers Operating Walk-In Centres
NHS walk-in centres are also managed by private healthcare/medical companies which are detailed below:
- Care UK
- Virgin Care
- Malling Health
- The Practice
- The Hurley Group
- Primecare
- Bondcare Medical Services
- Danum Medical Services
- DMC Healthcare
- GTD Primary Care
- Local Care Direct
- One Medicare
If you can prove that the medical practitioner who treated you in a walk-in centre was negligent and you suffered as a consequence, please call a member of the Legal Helpline team to find out whether you have a valid medical negligence claim.
Could I Catch An Infection From A Walk-In Centre?
Covid-19 is one of the major worries for all healthcare workers and patients at the moment. This includes those who work and visit medical facilities like walk-in centres. As such, it is essential the following is done to prevent the spread of Coronavirus:
- Medical professionals should offer advice to anyone who is showing Covid-19 systems on how to get tested and to self-isolate rather than seeking treatment at a walk-in centre or other medical facility
- Protective screens should be erected in strategic places
- All visitors to a walk-in centre must wear a protective mask
- All medical professionals must wear appropriate PPE
- Hand sanitiser must be provided
- Social distancing must be respected at all times
If you suspect you may have contracted Covid-19 when visiting a walk-in centre because the necessary precautions were not provided, you may have grounds to seek compensation.
Other infections that can be contracted in a walk-in centre include healthcare acquired infections (HCAIs) which can occur when the centre does not meet the correct standard of cleanliness. This includes the following infections:
- Clostridium Difficile
- Norovirus
Should you contract an HCAI when being treated at a walk-in centre, you could have grounds to sue because of a breach of the duty of care towards you. To discuss a medical negligence claim with a Legal Helpline adviser, please speak to an adviser today.
How To Make A Complaint About A Walk-In Centre
When it comes to lodging a complaint with the NHS, the majority of issues can be successfully resolved by discussing a problem with the staff at the medical facility where you are treated. You may find it easier to speak to someone who is knowledgeable about the NHS complaints procedure with a lot of UK hospitals having Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) onsite. However, if you are set on lodging a complaint, it is advisable to speak to someone at the independent NHS Complaints Advocacy Service first.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is responsible for making all final decisions on complaints that have not been dealt with successfully by the NHS in England as well as other UK Government bodies and public organisations. They deal with complaints in a non-bias manner and the service they provide is free of charge.
If you would like to know more about making a complaint, please contact a member of our team today.
Calculating Compensation Claims Against NHS Walk-In Centres
When you make a successful medical negligence claim, you could be awarded compensation in two parts known as general damages and special damages. For your injuries, you would be awarded general damages. For your losses and expenses (linked to the injuries you sustained), you would be awarded special damages.
The table below provides an idea of how much you may receive in general damages with the amounts being based on the Judicial College Guidelines. The amounts, therefore, do not include any special damages you may be entitled to claim back.
| Type of injury | General Damages Awarded based on Judicial College Guidelines | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological anguish | Up to £4,380 | Judged less severe |
| Neck | Up to £139,210 | Judged to be a severe injury |
| Back | £26,050 - £36,390 | Judged to be moderately severe |
| Shoulder | £7,410 - £11,980 | Judged to be moderately severe |
| Pelvis / Hips | £24,950 - £36,770 | Judged to be moderately severe |
| Forearm Bone | £6,190 - £18,020 | Single break to bone judged to be moderately severe |
| Elbow | £14,690 - £30,050 | Judged to be less serious |
| Wrist | Up to £6,970 | Judged to be less severe |
| Finger | Up to £34,480 | Judged to be a severe fracture |
| Little Finger & Ring Finger | Up to £20,480 | Amputation required |
You must be able to provide receipts and other relevant documentation when you claim special damages because they are calculated on ‘actual’ expenditure and losses connected to an injury you suffered.
The things you could include in a successful personal injury claim are detailed below:
- Care costs should you require help with chores around your home during the time it takes you to recover
- Medical expenses that cover things like the cost of prescriptions, treatment, therapy or rehabilitation provided by a private healthcare practitioner which is therefore not covered by the NHS
- Travel expenses which include being reimbursed for the cost of getting to and from a place where you are being treated. You could also claim back parking fees incurred there
- Loss of any income you incurred while you were off work
- Loss of future income if your injuries prevent you from working
- Home and vehicle adaptations if they are required
To speak to a Legal Helpline adviser who would be in a better position to offer you a more accurate idea of how much your medical negligence claim might be worth, please call a member of the team today.
No Win No Fee Claims For Walk-In Centre Negligence
When you instruct a No Win No Fee lawyer, you would sign what is known as a Conditional Fee Agreement. This is a legal contract between a solicitor and yourself which sets out the percentage you would pay for the services they provide on the condition that your claim is a success.
When signing a CFA, a No Win No Fee solicitor agrees to only being paid a success fee (the agreed percentage) when you are awarded compensation. The fee is deducted from the money awarded with the remainder being paid to you.
Should you lose your walk-in centre negligence claim, you would not have to pay a No Win No Fee lawyer because this was agreed upon when signing the Conditional Fee Agreement with them.
To find out more on how you could benefit from having a No Win No Fee lawyer act on your behalf, please get in touch today.
Make An Enquiry
To begin a claim today, please call a member of the Legal Helpline team. We can be reached in the following ways:
- By telephone on 0161 696 9685 – all calls are free of charge
- By requesting we call you back by clicking here
- By chatting with an adviser on our online live helpline
- By emailing us at [email protected]
Need More Help?
For information on claiming personal injury compensation, please read our guide by following the link provided:
Personal injury compensation guide
If you injured an elbow in a walk-in centre and would like more information on how to claim compensation, please follow the link provided:
For more information on car accident claims, please read our guide by following the link provided:
Car accident claims compensation guide
For more information on making a complaint to the NHS, please follow the link provided:
If you would like to know more about a medical practitioner’s duty of care towards you, please follow link below:
Medical practitioner’s duty of care explained
Thank you for reading our guide to walk-in centre negligence claims.
Guide by HW
Edited by REB