Skip to content

We understand that clinical negligence claims can be fraught with difficulty, extremely sensitive and often involve significant sums of money.

NHS organisations faced with such claims need the confidence, support and expertise of an experienced law firm with a track record of working in this specialist area.

We’re here to help. We draw on decades of experience supporting healthcare organisations throughout the UK, representing them in such matters. Risk management is at the forefront of our minds when dealing with any claims and inquests and we provide support every step of the way, from initial response through to hearings.

In addition to dealing with ongoing clinical negligence cases, we support our clients through dedicated, focused meetings to discuss clinical risk management, as well as delivering lectures and workshops on the best means of managing – and avoiding – such claims.

So when you need specialist legal experts in your corner, trust our legal experts, you’re in safe hands.

Our services

Clinical Negligence
  • Advising on and investigating complaints
  • Managing cases from initial response to conclusion
  • Mediation and other means of ADR
  • Resolving cases promptly and with the use of counsel
  • Selecting the best experts to advise
  • Supporting clinicians as witnesses
  • Using the best counsel where needed
Risk Management
  • Advising on the production of responses to complaints
  • Advising on issues arising as a result of claims, complaints or inquests or following a serious incident
  • Advising on the preparation for inquests and identifying trends in issues arising from these
  • Reviewing serious incident reports and advice on their disclosure.
  • The provision of training and updates with regards to risk management issues
  • Proactively seeking out learning from claims

Contact a specialist

Nicola Richardson

Consultant | Health and Regulatory

+44 (0) 330 137 3372

+44 (0)773 872 4685

Email Nicola Richardson

Read bio

Lisa Evans

Partner | Healthcare

+44 (0) 330 137 3393

+44 (0)773 846 2682

Email Lisa Evans

Read bio

View all contacts

What people say

  • Ward Hadaway offer a friendly service; they are interested in building relationships with the Trust’s claim team and the clinicians involved in litigation. They are happy to meet with clinicians in person which helps in supporting them through the claims process.

    Legal 500, Client quote
  • Excellent team working across multiple specialist areas. A really helpful and attentive service that goes the extra mile. A very well networked and aware team who connect us into wider knowledge and networks expertly.

    Legal 500, Client quote
  • The team is always highly responsive, incredibly thorough, proactive and professional.

    Client quote
  • Ward Hadaway is an excellent law firm. The advice is always well considered and forward-thinking.

    Chambers & Partners
  • Melanie Gavin from Ward Hadaway approached the Trust and put forward a proposal to review our legal spend with the various legal providers with a view to provide savings. She identified that savings could be made and also provided more flexible pricing options which we have continued to use and continue to be happy with how the service is delivered. We also received the added value that Melanie said would be provided. The pricing structure enables greater flexibility with regard to pricing and also offers greater transparency in as much that we know what we are paying at any particular time.

    Paul Dowell MCIPS, Deputy Head of Procurement & Supplies, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust
  • Immensely helpful. Thank you very much for the support, your shared experiences and help compiling feedback.

    NHS Trust associate director of nursing
  • You certainly made us reflect and consider the various elements that could possibly be raised and as a result we were able to think these through and prepare much more thoroughly our answers. It really helped doing this together so there was consistency and also a chance to think things through together. It also helped us to stop and think the whole thing through and the key messages to weave into our responses.

    NHS Trust head of operations
  • I would like to thank you so much for the help that you gave me in preparing for my interview with CQC. It was great to be able to work with someone who had a deep knowledge of the whole process coupled with a can-do approach. It was like an injection of confidence.

    NHS Trust medical director
  • Thank you so much for all the work you have put into supporting the Trust through the CQC inspection. I know from feedback from the senior team in particular that everyone has found the preparation, prompts and face to face support extremely helpful and not only has this enabled us to present as a coherent and informed team but at individual level has given people confidence and helped them think through the particular contribution they make and give examples of good practice. For me personally it was invaluable support and gave me both a structure within which to present my contribution to the Trust to CQC and a great deal of information that enabled me to demonstrate that I was not just knowledgable about our processes and policies but in touch with staff, services and the many great developments within the Trust.

    NHS Trust medical director

What we're thinking