CLOSE SEARCH
Delays in medical treatment or diagnosis can have serious consequences, sometimes making conditions harder to treat, reducing life expectancy, or causing permanent injury. We help clients whose health has been affected by delayed care, ensuring they receive the compensation and support they need.
Medical negligence due to delay can occur in many ways, including:
Delayed diagnosis – conditions such as cancer, heart disease, or stroke not identified promptly.
Late referral – GPs or specialists failing to refer patients for urgent investigations.
Postponed treatment – surgery, chemotherapy, or other interventions delayed beyond what is clinically acceptable.
Failure to act on test results – abnormal blood tests, scans, or imaging not followed up in time.
Emergency care delays – waiting times or mismanagement in A&E that worsen outcomes.
Delay alone is not enough to establish medical negligence. Usually, it is necessary to show both that you should reasonably have been diagnosed earlier and that the delay made a material difference to your condition or outcome.
For example, you may have:
repeatedly reported symptoms without appropriate investigation or referral;
had abnormal test or scan results that were missed or not followed up;
experienced an unreasonable delay in referral to a specialist;
been incorrectly reassured when further investigation was required; or
received the correct diagnosis only after your condition had significantly progressed.
The important question is often not simply “Was there a delay?”, but “What would probably have happened if I had been diagnosed when I should have been?”
Our team are highly experienced specialists. We deal with a wide range of complex medical claims, most of which we handle on a no win, no fee basis.
You will have a lawyer who understands both the medical and legal issues involved and can explain realistically from an early stage whether there is sufficient evidence to pursue a claim. In addition, we have a strong network of resources and expert connections.
Many of our team are accredited by AvMA (Action Against Medical Accidents), the charity for patient safety and justice or the Law Society’s specialist medical negligence panel.
Claims for delayed medical care may be made against:
NHS Trusts.
Private Hospitals, Clinicians and Clinics – for delayed procedures or diagnosis in private care.
GPs or community healthcare providers
Delay-related claims often involve reviewing multiple sets of medical records, referral letters, and test results to establish the timeline and breach of duty.
Generally, you have 3 years from the date of the negligent delay, or from when you first became aware that it caused harm, to start a claim.
For children, the 3-year period starts at 18 years of age.
For those lacking mental capacity, no limitation applies until capacity is regained.
If a patient has died, the estate or dependants will have 3 years from the date of death or knowledge of negligence.
If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to delayed medical treatment or diagnosis, our experienced medical negligence solicitors are here to help. Contact us for a free, confidential consultation to understand your options and pursue the compensation you deserve.
Telephone -
9am to 5pm
There is no fixed period. A delay of days may be critical for some conditions, while a longer delay may make little difference in others. The issue is whether appropriate action should reasonably have been taken earlier and whether the delay caused additional harm.
Yes. The fact that the correct diagnosis was eventually made does not prevent a claim. The relevant issue is whether an unreasonable delay before diagnosis caused you additional injury, treatment, loss or a worse outcome.
This usually requires independent expert evidence comparing what actually happened with what would probably have happened had the correct diagnosis been made earlier. This causation evidence is often one of the most important parts of a delayed diagnosis claim.
We have more than 15 offices across England and Wales, including a number of locations in London. Our specialist Medical Negligence team acts for clients nationwide. You do not need to live close to a particular office or lawyer to instruct us, and most aspects of a delayed diagnosis claim can be handled by telephone, email or video call, with meetings arranged where appropriate.
Call the Taylor Rose team or fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Telephone opening hours -
9am to 5pm
