Clinical Risk and Medical Malpractice

We understand the challenges that arise in the healthcare sector when patient expectations are not met, and we also recognise that cost pressures in the sector and on medical malpractice indemnifiers have never been so acute. As the provision of healthcare fragments away from its traditional delivery models, more and more claims activity will affect commercial entities, private clinics, hospitals, general healthcare providers – and their insurers.

Overview

We are the largest defendant medical malpractice team in the UK, and the leading legal adviser to the UK's health and social care sector, serving NHS Resolution, private healthcare providers, insurers and other indemnifiers including the UK's largest Medical Defence Organisation.

We deal with all claims, from those with multi-million pound potential liabilities to the smallest, which are often the most complicated.

We operate globally, providing clients with unrivalled expertise through our network of offices throughout Europe, Latin America, and partner firms in all key jurisdictions.

Technology, experience, and expertise are combined to ensure you receive the best service for dealing with, and where possible avoiding, clinical negligence claims of all types and all values. No matter how complicated, repercussive, or potentially expensive a claim is your work is safe with us.

Featured experience

  • Acting for a German hospital and its insurer faced with a multi-million pound complex cross-border claim. The claim was successfully defended at the UK Supreme Court.
  • Advising NHS England in relation to the highly significant COVID-19 Inquiry, which examines the UK’s response to the pandemic
  • Acting for all NHS Trusts in England in respect of compensation claims arising from the use of synthetic mesh in the treatment of incontinence and prolapse
  • Managing the defence of a claim relating to Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis, involving scientific complexities which challenge current legislative boundaries
  • Acting for a UK hospital group and US insurer in a hypoxic brain injury case involving multi-jurisdictional issues with a value in excess of £20million

What our clients say

  • Dawn McIntosh has been extremely supportive to me from the start of our relationship. I feel able to pick up the phone and ask for advice even if there is not legal work generated from it.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, North, 2023

  • Having experienced the claims handling process from a variety of law firms over the years I would say that DAC Beachcroft are by far the best. They are excellent at providing timely well-structured reports to us as defendants – setting out key points and recommendations in a way that makes interpretation of the reports easy. They are also very good at picking up the phone to keep me as the client updated.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, North, 2023

  • They are approachable and helpful, they are very clear in their written communication including emails. Dawn McIntosh stands out as a great communicator both in the written form and by telephone too. Dawn has worked with us on a couple of complex claims and her thoroughness and attention to detail is excellent.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, North, 2023

  • An excellent firm providing a first class service for defendants.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, South-West, 2023

  • Rachel Roberts-Jenkins has an in-depth knowledge of the sector. She has first-class judgment and shows good attention to detail. They also have excellent associates whom it is a pleasure to work with, including Justin Whitmore and Stuart Wallace.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, South-West, 2023

  • DAC Beachcroft is one of the best in this field. A team with fantastic depth, they consistently produce good results at competitive rates. They’re excellent at keeping us appraised of key legal decisions and produce helpful articles summarising the potential long term effects those decisions have on the medical world. Simon Perkins, leading from the front, is superb at putting webinars on for our members on a diverse range of interesting topics.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, South-West, 2023

  • Very strong team from top to bottom with years of experience and considerable knowledge of the complex market. This team interacts well with the national clinical negligence group within the firm increasing its skills.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, South-East, 2023

  • Leaders with great judgement who train and oversee a team who reflect their attention to detail. Never flustered and always well-prepared and fastidious.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, South-East, 2023

  • An excellent firm providing a first class service for defendants.

    Legal 500, Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence: Defendant, South-East, 2023

Clinical Risk & Medical Malpractice key contacts

Who we are

Why choose DAC Beachcroft?

We’re a broad-based commercial firm serving a wide range of sectors with a strong heritage in insurance,
health and real estate. We combine excellent legal skills and cutting-edge delivery expertise to design
solutions that fit the needs of our clients – often involving clever uses of technology.