WILTSHIRE BASED MEDICAL COMPENSATION CLAIM SPECIALISTS 

If you live in Trowbridge and need hospital treatment, you are usually referred to one of three main NHS hospitals. Each belongs to a separate trust: Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (Salisbury District Hospital), Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Great Western Hospital, Swindon), and Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (Royal United Hospital, Bath). Understanding their recent safety record helps explain why some patients sadly end up needing to make medical negligence claims.

Victim of a medical mistake? Call our specialist medical negligence solicitors now on Salisbury (01722) 422300 or Amesbury (01980) 622992 – for FREE phone advice and a FREE first appointment.

NHS League Tables – September 2025

The Department of Health’s latest NHS league tables, published in September 2025, show significant variation between the three trusts.

Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust was ranked 57th out of 134 acute hospital trusts in England.. It was flagged for ongoing financial pressures and persistent concerns around maternity and spinal services, both of which had been criticised in earlier inspections.

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Swindon) also scored poorly. It
came in the bottom half of the table, ranking at number 76. It’s performance was marked down for long A&E waiting times, repeated breaches of cancer waiting standards, and maternity safety concerns.

And worst of all was the rating for Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. it came in at number 112 and is therefore part of what is known as category 4  – the worst performing NHS trusts in the country. es noted sustained operational pressures, frequent cancellations, and unresolved concerns about patient flow.

None of them were rated particular highly – and the RUH rating was particularly worrying. All three therefore appear to have at least some negative performance markers.

Wiltshire hospitals – Most Recent CQC Inspections

• Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust – Salisbury District Hospital

In 2021, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) downgraded maternity services from “Good” to “Requires Improvement” and rated the trust’s leadership as “Inadequate”. Inspectors raised serious concerns about safety culture, staffing shortages, and leadership failings. Although a later 2025 inspection upgraded maternity to “Good,” the earlier negative findings remain an important part of the trust’s recent history. That doesn’t surprise our medical negligence team who have had a number of enquiries for possible medical negligence cases surrounding birth injuries at SDH.

• Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Great Western Hospital, Swindon

In March 2024, inspectors downgraded maternity services to “Requires Improvement”. The CQC found problems with safety, record-keeping, and leadership oversight. The trust as a whole remains under significant scrutiny, with repeated inspection reports criticising delays in urgent and emergency care.Urgent and emergency services also had the “requires improvement” assessment.

• Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust – Royal United Hospital, Bath

The RUH was last inspected in 2024. While maternity was rated “Good,” the hospital overall remains “Requires Improvement”, with the CQC repeatedly highlighting concerns about patient flow, delays in emergency care, and capacity pressures. Earlier reports also criticised inconsistent staffing levels and slow response to deteriorating patients. Sadly this is in line with the NHS league table categorisation.

And lastly, Trowbridge Community Hospital’s latest CQC report shows its Community Urgent Care Services received a “Good” rating, while its Community Health Inpatient Services were rated “Requires Improvement” as of September 2023

What This Means for Trowbridge Patients

For patients in Trowbridge, the choice of hospital often depends on where your GP refers you or where capacity is available. Sadly, the data shows that all three hospitals serving the town have been criticised in recent league tables and CQC reports, and each has been the subject of serious incidents, Never Events, and negligence claims.

While the vast majority of care is safe, these cases show that mistakes do happen—and when they do, the consequences for patients and families can be devastating.

If you or someone you know has been affected by medical errors in any of these NHS trusts or in local GP surgeries or community hospitals around Trowbridge and West Wiltshire, you may be entitled to bring a claim. Our specialist medical negligence solicitors can help you obtain your records, assess the strength of your case, and advise on next steps.

In most cases, we can act on a no win, no fee basis. That means you can concentrate on recovery rather than worry about legal bills

Historical problems – the latest medical concerns are nothing new

Although we all put our trust in medical staff to look after us, things can often go wrong and worries about medical care and local hospitals are nothing new.

In the case of grandmother Janet Hardingham from Trowbridge, the Royal United Hospital in Bath failed to treat her for lung cancer despite having spotted it three years earlier. On being told she had just months to live, she took the hospital to court and was awarded £75,000 in compensation.

Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident.

Victims of medical negligence in Trowbridge looking for expert legal advice in Wiltshire need look no further than specialist Wiltshire based law firm Bonallack & Bishop. Call our expert solicitors for help with your medical negligence claim.

A MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SPECIALIST MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE

Having a specialist solicitor in charge of your medical claim can make a huge difference to the damages you receive. Generalist solicitors who try their hand at this area of law tend to discover very quickly that it is extremely complex.

To give you the best chance of being awarded the full level of damages that you deserve following a medical error, you are going to need a solicitor with a detailed understanding of both the legal process and the medical issues involved in any medical negligence claim.

Our solicitors have specialist expertise and will be able to properly understand the many hundreds of pages of medical notes used in your case to construct a strong argument to support your claim.

5 REASONS TO CHOOSE US FOR YOUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM

We pride ourselves on maintaining the highest standards of client service. Below are four ways in which we like to make the claims process easier for our clients:

1. We offer a FREE initial telephone consultation

2. The first face-to-face meeting is also FREE – in our Salisbury or Amesbury office or in your home or in hospital, if you can’t travel. And we’re just as happy to meet you online it is Zoom video call

3. We can make home or hospital visits to clients in Trowbridge, and throughout Wiltshire

4. We can run medical claims on a no win no fee basis – so you don’t need to worry about paying your legal bill, but can concentrate on getting better.

DON’T DELAY – CALL OUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE EXPERTS TODAY

Strict time limits apply to all medical negligence claims so it is important that you start the claims process as soon as possible. Our solicitors have the experience and expert knowledge required to recover the full amount of compensation you deserve.

For FREE initial advice, just call our medical negligence claims solicitors today;

• locally on Salisbury [01722] 422300 or FREE on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544
  OR
• email us via the contact form below.

Local Lawyers – Compensation Claim Specialists

We trust our general practitioners, doctors and surgeons quite literally with our lives. Fortunately, the vast majority of us can trust these professionals whether it is on a visit to the local surgery or a stay in hospital. But occasionally people in the medical world fail to measure up to expectations with devastating results – whether it involves a wrong diagnosis,  prescription of the wrong medication, or a surgeon’s poor practice in the operating theatre – and that’s where medical negligence (also called clinical negligence) claims come in.

Our accredited team understand just how highly traumatic a medical negligence claim can be – when you’ve been badly let down by a medical professional. These claims can be extremely complex and should always be carried out by specialist solicitors.

No matter what type of medical error you have experienced, we can help you claim the compensation you deserve.

Victim of a medical mistake? Call our specialist medical negligence solicitors now on Fordingbridge 01425 (652110) or Salisbury (01722) 422300 or Andover (01264) 364433– for FREE phone advice and a FREE first appointment.

Medical care in Romsey

People living in Romsey have Romsey Community  Hospital  on their doorstep. Unfortunately standards there seem to have slipped. According to the latest Care Quality Commission report published in 2022, ratings for both safety and effectiveness were described as “requires improvement”. And there are periodic reports which suggest areas for improvement in community services, particularly around diagnostic/screening, record-keeping, and how care is organised.

NHS league tables September 2025 update – Hampshire Hospitals Trust ranked as some of the worst performing hospitals in the country

But but worse still is news from the NHS league tables published in September 2025. The Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust — which runs the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, and Andover War Memorial Hospital — ranked as some of the worst hospitals in the country – ranked at 101st out of 134, worryingly near the bottom of the table.

From botched operations to negligent care, incorrect diagnoses and poor advice, what constitutes medical negligence is quite a broad spectrum, but if you’ve suffered as the result of a medical professional’s actions (or lack of action) then you could be in line for financial compensation for the hurt you’ve been caused.

Fortunately, Bonallack & Bishop has the expertise you need, offices across Wiltshire and Hampshire and we are happy to make home and hospital visits, anywhere in Hampshire for those who can’t travel.

Victim of a medical mistake? Call our specialist medical negligence solicitors now on Fordingbridge 01425 (652110) or Salisbury (01722) 422300 – for FREE phone advice and a FREE first appointment.

DO I REALLY NEED A MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SPECIALIST?

Medical negligence [often called clinical negligence] is amongst the most complex area of law – your solicitor will need to be not just an expert on law and procedure, but will also need enough medical knowledge to make sense of your x-rays and medical notes, for example.

To give you the best chance of winning the compensation you deserve, you really do need a specialist medical negligence solicitor on your side.

So if you choose us to help you claim compensation for your medical mistake, you can rest assured our team shares years of experience in successfully helping people throughout southern England recover compensation following medical errors.

ROMSEY MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM? CALL NOW FOR FREE ADVICE

Our team offer;

o FREE telephone advice

o a FREE first appointment – face-to-face, by phone or Zoom video

o no win no fee for medical compensation claims – so you don’t have to worry about paying legal bills.

o home and hospital visits for those who are unable to visit us at our offices

DON’T DELAY – CONTACT OUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS TODAY

Your medical negligence compensation claim is subject to strict time limits. Call us as soon as possible to ensure that you do not miss your chance to claim the compensation you deserve.

• Email us using the contact form at the bottom of the page

OR

• Call us free on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544 or by ringing either our Salisbury or Andover office directly.

Bonallack and Bishop,                      Bonallack & Bishop,
Rougemont House,                           3 Eastgate House,
Rougemont Close                             East Street,
Salisbury,                                          Andover,
Wiltshire,                                           Hampshire,
SP1 1LY                                            SP10 1EP

Tel: (01722) 422300                        Tel: (01264) 364433

WILTSHIRE BASED MEDICAL COMPENSATION CLAIM SPECIALISTS 

Medical negligence can happen anywhere, but when it happens in your home town with medical professionals who you trust, it can be particularly distressing. But you may be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries. And that’s where our specialist medical negligence solicitors come in.

WHY ONLY SPECIALIST MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS WILL DO

In order to win your medical compensation claim, your solicitors will need to extract crucial pieces of information to be used in evidence from complicated medical records. This requires a good understanding of medicine as well as legal expertise and only specialists will have this kind of knowledge across the two professions.

If you instruct us, your case will not be run by an inexperienced junior – but by an experienced solicitor from our team who you will meet. So if you instruct our medical negligence team you can be sure that you have experts running your claim.

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU

Here at Wiltshire law firm, Bonallack & Bishop, our specialist medical negligence solicitors offer:

• FREE initial telephone advice
• A FREE first appointment – face-to-face, by phone or using Zoom video
• No win no fee agreements – so you need not worry about how you will pay legal fees
• Home or hospital visits – we understand that your injuries may prevent you from coming into one of our offices to speak to us in person, which is why our solicitors are happy to visit clients in Chippenham, or indeed anywhere in Wiltshire, at home or in hospital if they have trouble travelling.

Performance & Safety Concerns for Hospitals Serving Trowbridge

Patients in Trowbridge are served by the local Chippenham Community Hospital, but many will go to the 2 large acute hospitals locally – the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, or the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

And the news isn’t good for patients from Trowbridge needing to attend hospital in Swindon or by

As of the September 2025 NHS league tables, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is ranked 76th among acute NHS trusts in England. That places it firmly in the bottom half of hospital trust nationwide. This placement reflects several areas of underperformance including elective waiting times, emergency care delays, and difficulty meeting national targets.

But much worse news concerns RUH. The same table shows Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust among the very worst acute trusts, ranking at 112 placing the RUH in the category of the worst performing trusts nationwide.

Sadly this is nothing new. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) most recently inspected Royal United Hospital Bath and found widespread areas needing improvement. Its overall rating is “Requires Improvement.” Specific concerns included failures in the “Safe”, “Responsive” and “Well-led” domains. In particular, inspectors flagged issues in medical wards caring for older people, problems in urgent and emergency services, and inadequacies in leadership and governance.

Great Western Hospital has also had negative findings in recent past inspections, particularly around maternity care, safety oversight, and record keeping, although specific recent CQC reports for Great Western reflecting the same level of critique are less prominent in publicly available sources.

And these concerns about the standard of medical treatment locally are nothing new. For example, back in 2009, a Chippenham man fell and injured his wrist and hand whilst playing football. The X-ray service at Chippenham Community Hospital x-rayed his wrist and those x-rays were then reviewed at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, but both missed a fractured left scaphoid.

Six months later when he returned to his GP to complain of discomfort, the fracture was finally spotted. Due to requiring more extensive medical treatment and a longer period of recovery due to the hospital’s negligence, the Hospital Trust settled on a compensation figure of £15,000 which was paid to the man in 2011.

LOOKING FOR CHIPPENHAM MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS? CONTACT US TODAY

Have you suffered medical negligence at the hands of Chippenham Community Hospital, or Great Western or the Royal United Hospital?

Don’t delay. If you leave it too long to start the medical negligence compensation claims process you may find that you lose the right to claim the compensation you deserve entirely. So, to avoid missing out;

• Call us now free on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544, or locally on Salisbury (01722) 422300 today, or
• Email us using the contact form below:

Medical Mistake Compensation Claim Lawyers

Medical negligence is sadly far too common. Although we all put our trust in those medical staff who are trained and employed to provide us with healthcare, sometimes things do go wrong and serious and irreparable damage can be caused. Unfortunately, the situation in Weymouth is no different. But that’s where our specialist medical negligence solicitors come in.

If your health has been damaged in some way by a negligent medical professional, you deserve a fair level of compensation. Whatever medical error gave rise to your claim, our team are specialists at recovering compensation for victims of medical negligence [often referred to as clinical negligence – it’s the same thing].

Call Salisbury (01722) 422300 – for Free Phone Advice and a Free 1st Interview from Our Specialist Medical Negligence Solicitors

NHS league tables September 2025 update – Dorset County Hospital

In the latest NHS acute trust league tables published in September 2025, Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is tied for 48th position out of 134 trusts, wnationwide.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) most recently inspected Dorset County Hospital in late 2023 and found that while many services were performing acceptably, several serious concerns remain.

Among the negative findings were that some patient group directions (PGDs) for administering medicines in the renal dialysis unit were out of date or not properly authorised; also, resuscitation trolleys were not clearly tamper-evident, which raises risk in emergencies. However, despite this middle ranking, there were concerns. The report further noted that there were not always enough nursing, midwifery, therapy or medical staff with the right skill mix to provide safe care, especially in the emergency department and other wards.

Additionally, some equipment in the emergency department was found to be not clean or fit for use, and parts of the physical environment needed repair, making cleaning difficult.

Medical negligence at Dorset County Hospital

Unfortunately, there is a history of medical mistakes at the hospital. Some of the more recent negligent compensation claims include the following:

1. Read v Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2023)
In this case, Ms. Rianna Read developed cauda equina syndrome following a sudden disc prolapse. She alleged that avoidable delays in her transfer between hospitals delayed her surgery, and that the delay significantly worsened her outcome (motor function). The case was heard in the High Court in February 2023.

2. Ophthalmology Care Issues (Investigation, 2025)
Solicitors are investigating claims for a number of patients who experienced serious problems with ophthalmology care at Dorset County Hospital. The claimants allege that treatment was substandard, although at the time of reporting, the investigations have not concluded.

3. Surgical Errors Compensation
Since 2019, Dorset County Hospital and University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust together have paid over £5 million in compensation for claims made following surgical errors. These claims include operations that had unexpected complications, mistakes during surgery, or errors in treatment.

MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIMS ADVICE IN WEYMOUTH? LOOK NO FURTHER

Currently no law firm in Weymouth has a specialist medical negligence solicitor. But luckily for victims of careless medical professionals, we at Bonallack & Bishop [ Dorset, Wiltshire and Hampshire based Solicitors] has a specialist team serving Dorset.

We understand the complexity of medical claims – not simply the law and procedure, but our team also have enough medical knowledge so that when they look at your x-rays and GP or hospital notes, they understand what they are looking at.

FREE HOME AND HOSPITAL VISITS

Home and hospital visits are always available throughout Dorset for those whose injuries make it difficult to travel.

LIVE IN WEYMOUTH – THINKING OF CLAIMING MEDICAL COMPENSATION? DON’T DELAY – CONTACT US NOW

Medical Negligence in Dorchester — Dorset County Hospital & Winterbourne Hospital 

Care in this area is provided by both an NHS hospital—Dorset County Hospital—and a private provider—The Winterbourne Hospital.If you or a loved one experienced avoidable harm in Dorchester, you may be able to bring a medical negligence claim with the help of our expert medical negligence claim solicitors.

Victim of a medical mistake? Call our specialist medical negligence solicitors now on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544 – for FREE phone advice and a FREE first appointment.

NHS league tables September 2025 update – Dorset County Hospital gets an average  rating

In the new NHS league tables published in September 2025, Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, was ranked 48th out of 134 acute hospital trusts in England. This places it just above halfway nationally.

And given some of the serious medical since incidents at the hospital in recent years, that was welcome news

While the trust has not faced the most serious warnings, inspectors have pointed to ongoing pressures in emergency care and waiting times, which continue to affect patient safety and access to treatment.

For people in Dorchester, this mid-table result is a reminder that standards are mixed: many patients receive good care, but there are still risks of delays and mistakes. If your treatment at Dorset County Hospital has caused avoidable harm, you may have grounds to bring a medical negligence claim.

Dorset County Hospital: Recent Safety Profile and Case Highlights

Inspection and claims costs: Since 2019, NHS Resolution data shows that Dorset County Hospital (combined with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust) has paid out over £5 million in compensation for surgical error claims, including incidents such as retained surgical items or wrong-site surgery.

In a particularly costly year, 2019–20, the hospital incurred £13.9 million in compensation claims—including damages and legal costs—a 63 % increase compared to the prior year.

Specialist clinical complaints: Recent headlines have highlighted issues in ophthalmology at Dorset County Hospital, with solicitors currently investigating claims on behalf of patients who experienced serious problems with eye care.

Together, these figures and investigations signal that, although rare compared with thousands of safe operations, surgical mistakes do occur—and when they do, they can result in life-altering consequences.

Winterbourne Hospital – Private Provider: CQC Ratings

The Winterbourne Hospital is a private facility in Dorchester run by Circle Health Group. It offers surgery, outpatient appointments, and diagnostic services. A Comprehensive Care Quality Commission inspection in June 2022 rated the hospital overall as “Requires improvement.”

The specific ratings were:

• Safe: Good (in surgery and diagnostic imaging); “Requires improvement” for outpatients
• Effective: Good (in surgical services)
• Caring: Good across all services
• Responsive: Good (though overall rated “Requires improvement”)
• Well-led: Requires improvement across the board
• Inspectors raised concerns about recruitment processes, record-keeping, and oversight in some areas, though they also praised staffing levels, infection control, compassionate care, and learning from safety incidents

MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE AT DORSET COUNTY HOSPITAL – NOT ISOLATED ERRORS

Dorchester’s Dorset County Hospital has quite a history of clinical errors. back in 2014, figures released by the NHS itself in April 2014, showed that a total of 76 medical negligence claims against that hospital alone had been settled since 2009.

Of those 76 successful claims, 17 of them involved errors with diagnosis, five with tests or test results and 26 mistakes made during surgery or other treatments or procedures. One sadly involved an infant fatality.

One boy was left in a wheelchair prior to his birth in 2002 and is due a very large payout, which wasn’t included in the £6 million figure released in 2014. When the figures were released, the hospital’s spokesperson was relentless in claiming that the figures were about average for a UK hospital and showed no remorse for the situation. A patient governor later stated that he had not been informed of the payouts and only found out after the Dorset Echo contacted him.

DORSET COUNTY HOSPITAL – THE POSITION IN 2016

2016 saw an update for the Dorchester hospital when theCare Quality Commission inspection ratings were published. Unfortunately it did not make good reading.

Death rates in hospital and up to 30 days after discharge were described as “ worse than expected”

The report went on to find that each of the following basic medical services provided at the hospital “requires recruitment

• A&E
• Outpatients
• Maternity and gynaecology
• End of life care

And in summarising the whole of the services provided by the hospital, improvement was also required with regard to issues of “safety” and “leadership”

That’s probably why historically, our medical negligence solicitors have always seen a sad and surprisingly high of medical negligence cases in Dorchester.

DORSET COUNTY HOSPITAL – THE DR FOSTER VERDICT

And the Care Quality Commission report seems to largely confirm the findings of another very comprehensive report earlier in the decade.

According to statistics from the highly respected Dr Foster Hospital Guide 2011 [the guide was produced annually by the Dr Foster unit at Imperial College in London – and was the best and most comprehensive independent benchmarking of hospital standards nationwide], the Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester is performing within the expected range for four key performance indicators. However, despite the fact that the results fall into the expected range, they are not as encouraging as the performance achieved by some other hospitals.

For example, for the SHMI result (which measures deaths following hospital treatment), Dorset County Hospital achieved a score of 103. This was by no means the highest, but when you consider that some hospitals were achieving significantly lower scores (such as 78), there is clearly still room for improvement.

The hospital scored 109 on the HSMR indicator, which is a measure of 56 conditions that account for 80% of deaths in hospital. Again, this was within the expected range but other trusts achieved lower scores – for instance, Cambridge University Hospitals scored a lower than expected 75.

One area where it seems Dorset County Hospital definitely needs to improve is in AAA surgery. AAA stands for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, and hospitals that perform the surgery infrequently can have up to 70% higher death rates than those who perform it often. As it carried out less than 35 procedures in 2010/11, the Dr Foster guide recommends that the trust either increases the number it carries out or ceases to perform the operation altogether. This is due to the fact that larger units have better survival rates.

Overall, it seems that while Dorset County Hospital  is by no means the worst performing, there are still areas where it could definitely improve patient care – and that means there is a real risk of medical negligence in Dorchester and that’s where our specialist medical solicitors can help.

DORCHESTER MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE? CALL OUR SOLICITORS TODAY

If you think that you have been the victim of medical negligence at Dorset County Hospital, call or email our specialist medical negligence solicitors today. Home and hospital visits are available throughout Dorset.

For FREE initial phone advice and a FREE no obligation first appointment with expert Medical Negligence Solicitors you can rely on;

• Call our team now free on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544 or
• Complete the e-mail contact form below

MEDICAL COMPENSATION CLAIM SPECIALISTS

Devizes is home not only to the NHS run Devizes Health Centre and Green Lane Mental Hospital but also to a number of GP practices and private medical clinics. If you’ve been the victim of medical negligence in one of these units, or if you live in the Devizes area but have been the victim of a medical mistake at another hospital, perhaps at RUH Bath,  Salisbury District Hospital or the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, you could be entitled to claim compensation.

DEVIZES MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM? FOR FREE SPECIALIST ADVICE – CALL US NOW ON SALISBURY (01722) 422300

Whether it’s a missed diagnosis, a surgical procedure gone wrong or simple poor advice which has led to you suffering in some way as a result of the negligence, you should speak to a specialist medical negligence lawyer to see if you have grounds for compensation.

Of all compensation claims, those involving medical negligence are usually the most complex. And particularly if you have already placed your trust in a medical professional, you really don’t want to put your claim into the hands of a solicitor who is not a specialist in this sort of claim.

NHS league tables September 2025 update – terrible assessment of Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust

The latest NHS league tables published in September 2025 place the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust near the very bottom of all hospitals in the country. It came in 112th out of 134 acute trusts in England.

This rank reflects concerns about its performance in key areas such as waiting times, emergency department pressures, and elective care backlogs.

And, worryingly this is nothing new. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) most recently rated the Royal United Hospital Bath site as “Requires Improvement” overall as recently as 2024.

Inspectors identified several negative findings: surgical wards were criticised for inconsistent completion of venous thromboembolism (VTE) assessments when patients are admitted, and patient food and fluid intake charts were not reliably monitored.

The CQC also found that facilities, premises, and equipment maintenance were not always adequate, that some wards lacked sufficient healthcare assistant staffing, and that medication records on some wards did not adhere to trust policy.

If you are thinking about making a medical negligence claim, what’s the most important first step? Undoubtedly to find a solicitor with the right experience and specialist knowledge to support and represent you during what can be a stressful legal process.

At the time of writing this blog, none of the Devizes based law firms have a medical negligence specialist. We are Wiltshire based Solicitors and, fortunately, we do. And we are just based down the road with offices in Salisbury and Amesbury.

Our team includes members of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel. What’s more, if you decide to appoint us to represent you in your medical negligence claim, your case won’t be dealt with by a call centre operative or unqualified paralegal.

Here at solicitors Bonallack and Bishop, all of our medical negligence team are fully qualified specialist medical negligence solicitors – can guarantee we have the right expertise to help you claim compensation.

HOME AND HOSPITAL VISITS IN DEVIZES

And if your medical condition means you simply can’t travel, then our team are happy to make home or hospital visits to you in Devizes or, in fact, anywhere in Wiltshire.

SHOULD I MAKE A COMPLAINT FIRST?

Yes. Bringing a complaint can play an important role in winning compensation.

An internal NHS complaint can help you get an answer as to what actually happened. It could also result in an admission of negligence from the hospital, GP surgery or clinic concerned.

LIVE IN DEVIZES? THINKING OF MAKING A CLAIM – CONTACT OUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS TODAY

If you have been the victim of a medical error, contact us now – for FREE initial phone advice and a FREE first appointment from our Specialist medical negligence solicitors;

Bonallack and Bishop,
Rougemont House,
Rougemont Close,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire,
SP1 1LY

• Call us on (01722) 422300 or free on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544

• Fill in the contact form below

MEDICAL ERROR COMPENSATION CLAIM SPECIALISTS

When it comes to winning damages following medical negligence, you are always best off with specialist medical negligence solicitors with plenty of experience of medical error compensation claims.  Unfortunately, such specialists are, at least at the time of writing this blog, unavailable on the Isle of Wight.

The good news is that Bonallack & Bishop are nearby with 2 offices in Hampshire, and are happy to help with your compensation claim against St Mary’s Hospital or any other medical professional on the Island.  They are genuine specialists and include a member of the Law Society Personal Injury Panel (as at September 11, 2025, no law firm on the Isle of Wight has a member of that panel). So our medical negligence solicitors have all the experience you need. They only handle personal injury and medical negligence compensation.

FOR FREE LEGAL ADVICE – CALL OUR SPECIALIST MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS NOW ON FREEPHONE 0800 1404544

NHS league tables September 2025 update – Isle of Wight Trust in bottom half of league table

In the new NHS league tables published on 9 September 2025, Isle of Wight NHS Trust (St Mary’s Hospital, Newport) ranked 73rd out of 134 acute hospital trusts — in the bottom half of all hospitals nationally. Recent reports still highlight pressure in urgent and emergency care and backlogs for referral-to-treatment waits, which the trust acknowledges remain a challenge.

If your care at St Mary’s Hospital, Newport was delayed or mistakes were made, you may have grounds to bring a medical negligence claim.

CARE QUALITY COMMISSION REPORT – OVERALL RATING “REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT”

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust’s most recent full inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), published in September 2021, isn’t entirely reassuring either about standards of care. While the inspection rated the Trust overall as “Good” for safety, effectiveness, caring, responsive services, and well-led leadership, the CQC found that the Trust’s “Use of Resources” domain was “Inadequate,” bringing down the combined overall rating to “Requires Improvement.” This means that, while clinical care in many parts was considered acceptable, the Trust was criticised for inefficient or insufficient financial or operational management.

OTHER NEGATIVE FINDINGS FROM PAST INSPECTIONS INCLUDE:

The Trust was previously rated “Inadequate” overall in 2017, following staff shortages, problems with safeguarding training, and issues around delays in emergency department discharges and ambulance handovers.

A warning notice was issued by CQC in 2019, citing concerns over safety and the quality of initial patient assessments.

THE ISLE OF WIGHT – HISTORICAL CONCERNS WITH MEDICAL CARE

Unfortunately, medical care on the Isle of Wight has a history of some serious mistakes and concerns. The first report on Isle of Wight NHS Trust by the CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals in 2014 rated many services at St Mary’s Hospital and IOW Community Health services as requiring improvement, resulting in the IOW NHS Trust being issued with a warning notice. There were particular concerns with regard to staffing levels, admissions and the proper regulation of medicines.

Worryingly, both actual medical care (including older people’s care) and what is referred to as “end of life care” were both described as “requiring improvement” – which according to the Care Quality Commission simply means that the service isn’t performing as well as it should.

In addition to this, the report found that A&E patients were, quite remarkably, being assessed by a receptionist with no medical qualifications whatsoever.

Sadly this wasn’t the first sign of problems at the Isle of Wight’s principal NHS hospital. In 2012, a health watchdog investigated St Mary’s hospital after a patient reported being discharged onto the streets barefoot and in their nightclothes at 4.30 am.

2012 also saw a rise in the number of patients suffering from pressure sores in the Isle of Wight. According to the Isle of Wight County Press, the number of patients being treated in St Mary’s Hospital who developed the condition increased by 1.3% from September to October in 2012 and the number of bedsores considered to be seriously increased by nearly 0.3% over the same period.

Pressure sores cause sufferers excruciating pain and the condition can be unbearably uncomfortable. However, it is believed that no patient should have to suffer from the condition as many people believe that all pressure sores can be avoided if the necessary steps are taken. The number of cases of pressure sores in hospitals and care homes is unacceptably high and it is time for medical professionals to take the problem more seriously.

In order to combat the increase in pressure sores amongst patients, healthcare workers must carry out regular risk assessments and draw up care plans which account for the risks identified. If there is any equipment such as mattresses that reduce the pressure on the skin, these should be purchased and distributed accordingly.
Click here to read more about pressure sore negligence claims

And then, in April 2015, a man was awarded a seven-figure sum in compensation plus annual payments for being discharged from St Mary’s despite having severe head injuries and permanent brain damage.

If you’ve suffered as a result of negligence at the hands of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, you could be entitled to compensation too.

FREE ADVICE FROM OUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS

Contact one of our specialist compensation claim solicitors for;

• a FREE no strings attached initial phone consultation on whether you have grounds for compensation
  AND
• a first appointment FREE of charge – face-to-face or using Zoom video
• No win no fee funding form your claim so you don’t have to worry about paying your legal bill, and can focus on your recovery

OUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS – HOME AND HOSPITAL VISITS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

We pride ourselves on our excellent client service.  So if your medical condition means that you can’t travel, our medical negligence solicitors are happy to make home and hospital visits if desired.

ACT TODAY OR RISK LOSING YOUR RIGHT TO CLAIM COMPENSATION

All medical negligence claims strict time limits – that means if you put off contacting a solicitor about making your claim, you could lose out on the compensation you deserve entirely.

ISLE OF WIGHT MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS – CALL TODAY FOR FREE ADVICE

If you have been harmed by a negligent medical professional, it is only fair that you are compensated for the pain, suffering and financial hardship that you’ve endured. Our specialist medical negligence lawyers will work tirelessly to recover the full and fair amount of compensation you deserve.

• For your FREE initial phone consultation, call our team now on FREEPHONE
  [0800] 1404544

• Alternatively, you can reach us by email using the enquiry form below.

MEDICAL COMPENSATION CLAIM SPECIALISTS 

If you live in Blandford, it’s sad to say that according to the most recent reports from government’s Care Quality Commission (CQC), there are some real and genuine concerns about the poor standards of care in your local hospitals.

That’s probably why our medical negligence solicitors seem to cover a surprising number of compensation claims following medical errors from people living in Dorset.

BLANDFORD COMMUNITY HOSPITAL – “REQUIRES IMPROVEMENT”

Living in Blandford, you will likely have been treated at some point at one of the town’s NHS services, such as Blandford Community Hospital.

Blandford Community Hospital, like 11 other local community hospitals, is run by the Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust. Unfortunately this particular trust does not have a good reputation.

The latest report on the trust by the CQC 16 October 2015 makes uncomfortable reading for patients in Blandford. The overall rating for the trust was that it “requires improvement”. The good news was that the CCQ’ felt that the Trust had “caring, enthusiastic and committed workforce”. However out of the five main categories, only one was described as good – and that is the “caring” category. The other four categories, which most worryingly included the category of “safe” are all described as “requires improvement”.

Click here for the full CQC report on Blandford Community Hospital.

DORSET COUNTY HOSPITAL – FAILING TO MEET STANDARDS

And of course, if you need a more serious operation or more specialist care, you may be treated at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. According to the CQC in their latest report on the hospital back in June/July 2013, it completely failed to meet basic standards in 3 out of 5 hospitals. Click here for the full report on Dorset County Hospital.

CLAIMING COMPENSATION FOR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE IN BLANDFORD

If you have been the victim of medical negligence (or clinical negligence as it’s often called), you are likely to have suffered physically, emotionally and financially. In order to win the compensation you deserve, you will need a specialist medical negligence solicitor on your side.

There are currently no law firms in Blandford with a specialist medical negligence solicitor to help you with your compensation claim. By contrast, Bonallack & Bishop in nearby Salisbury has the specialist legal team you need.

WHY DO I NEED A MEDICAL CLAIMS SPECIALIST?

Medical negligence claims are particularly complex – they involve not just understanding of law and procedure, but also a significant degree of medical knowledge – so when, for example, your solicitor goes through your medical notes and look at your x-rays, they need to know exactly what to look for. If you’re serious about your medical negligence claim, don’t end up with an accident claim lawyer who only handles the occasional medical negligence case – let alone a generalist solicitor. Rest assured that our team have the expertise you need.

BLANDFORD MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM? CALL TODAY FOR FREE ADVICE

Initial phone advice and your first appointment are complete FREE for all medical claims – and we offer home and hospital visits throughout Dorset and Wiltshire.

No win no fee agreements are also available for medical negligence claims – so you don’t need to worry about paying legal fees.

GET IN TOUCH FOR EXPERT ADVICE ON MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIMS

For FREE phone advice and a FREE first appointment with Specialist Solicitors;

• Call us on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544
• Or use the contact form below

Bonallack and Bishop,                    Bonallack & Bishop,
Bank Court,                                        Rougemont House,
Manor Road                                       Rougemont Close,
Manor Road                                       Salisbury,
Dorset,                                               Wiltshire,
BH31 6DY                                          SP1 1LY

Tel: [01202] 834450                         Tel: (01722) 422300

If you live in Shaftesbury and you are looking to make a medical negligence compensation
claim, you will not find the specialist solicitors you need in Shaftesbury.

However, Bonallack & Bishop [a well-established law firm who run this specialist website] are just a few miles away with offices in Salisbury and Fordingbridge and we have the specialist medical-legal team you need to win your claim.

CALL (01722) 422300 – FOR FREE PHONE ADVICE AND A FREE 1ST INTERVIEW FROM OUR SPECIALIST MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS

MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE – WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES A SPECIALIST MAKE?

Having a specialist medical negligence solicitor on your side makes a massive difference to your compensation claim.

To win the medical negligence compensation you deserve, a solicitor must be able to understand and cut through complex medical notes, x-rays and independent medical reports to pick out pieces of information that will be central to the case.

Generalist lawyers will simply not understand the complex medical language involved and as a result, could miss crucial pieces of evidence.

[NB Clinical negligence is the same thing as medical negligence].

WHAT SETS BONALLACK & BISHOP APART?

In a survey of over 400 of our clients, 98% of them said that they would recommend us to a friend – here’s why:

• Excellent client service: our solicitors will visit you in hospital or in the comfort of your own home – anywhere in Hampshire, Wiltshire or Dorset

• We offer initial phone advice FREE of charge

• Your first appointment (face-to-face or using Zoom video) for all medical negligence claims is also FREE of charge – with no strings attached

• We can pursue your claim under a no win, no fee arrangement so you don’t have to worry about paying a big legal bill if you lose.

SHAFTESBURY MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIMS – CALL 01722 422300

To give your claim the best possible chance of success contact our medical negligence team today today.

• JUST CALL US ON  01722 422300, or
• Use the email form below to reach our experts:

SALISBURY & ANDOVER BASED MEDICAL COMPENSATION CLAIM SPECIALISTS

Genuine expert medical negligence solicitors are hard to come by, but our specialists have the expertise you need to successfully win the compensation that innocent victims of medical errors deserve.

If you live in Winchester, we can help. Running  medical negligence claims from our local offices in Salisbury and Andover, our expert team understand the difficulties that medical negligence can cause to victims and we can minimise the stress involved in the claims process, allowing you to concentrate on recuperating.

CALL SALISBURY (01722) 422300 OR ANDOVER (01264) 364433 – FOR FREE PHONE ADVICE AND A FREE 1ST INTERVIEW FROM OUR SPECIALIST MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITORS

WHAT IS MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE?

Medical negligence takes place when the doctor or medical professional in question is in breach of their duty of care towards you as their patient. This means that they must have failed to treat you to the reasonable standard of care that you would expect from someone of their position and experience.

What’s more, even if they have breached that duty of care and therefore are negligent, you can’t claim compensation unless you’ve suffered some sort of direct physical injury as a result.

However be warned –making a claim for medical negligence can the slow, so it is crucial that get specialist legal advice it as soon as you think you might have been the victim of a medical error

ROYAL HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HOSPITAL – A CATALOGUE OF RECENT PROBLEMS

If you’ve been the victim of medical negligence, the effects can be truly devastating. In the case of an Andover woman born at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, the repercussions of medical negligence were lifelong.

Becky Crothall was born at the Winchester hospital in 1988, one of twins, and birthing complications arising from the hospital staff failing to recognise the need for an emergency Caesarean meant that she developed cerebral palsy and learning difficulties. Tragically, her twin died. Nowadays Becky cannot be left unsupervised and is classed as a vulnerable adult. After taking the NHS Trust to court, she was awarded a huge financial payout.

More recently, in January 2015, the emergency department at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester was the centre of the scandal when despite struggling to cope with patient admissions for a four-day period, the hospital management simply refused to formally declare it as a “major incident” in the face of repeated requests to do so from a number of their senior doctors. Why? Allegedly because it “would look bad in the media” and the Trust would be fined. This is despite the fact that at its worst, the hospital had approximately 25 patients dumped in the ambulance corridor, with the condition of some patients being serious enough to require being given oxygen.

Interestingly, in one recent survey of hospitals in England and Wales, the Royal Hampshire County Hospital scored what was referred to as a “smart rating” of 94%  and was described as “ one of the best hospitals in the nation based on current indicators and hospital studies”. However strangely, the same survey found that just 67% of the staff actually employed their recommend the hospital! What’s going on there?

UPDATE – ROYAL HAMPSHIRE COUNTY HOSPITAL – THE LATEST CQC REPORT

The latest report by the care quality commission on Winchester’s own hospital, run by the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is reasonably positive.

In general those living in or around the Winchester area will be pleased to know that the hospital was described In the report published by the CQC in November 2015as “good. Let’s hope they keep up the apparent progress.

However safety issues were described as requiring improvement and in particular the inspection rating found that outpatients also “requires improvement”. That’s a concern given how many local people use outpatients – with 211,418 people  attending outpatient services in 2014. The report was critical in particular of what it described as, “one serious incident requiring investigation “where a patient ‘s health needs simply weren’t followed up at all.

The trust was also reported to have a disappointingly high number of clinics cancelled at short notice.

THE NEED TO INSTRUCT A SPECIALIST MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE SOLICITOR

Medical negligence is a very difficult area of law and few solicitors are genuine specialists. Those without sufficient experience and expertise of medical negligence claims are unlikely to win the full compensation you deserve. It’s essential to really understand both law and medicine as the success of your case will depend on a thorough understanding of medical issues and procedure, and the ability to understand the detail of many different kinds of medical evidence, including your GP or hospital notes, specialist reports and x-rays.

Furthermore, our firm – along with just 120 or so others [out of almost 11,000 law firms] nationwide – has been awarded the Law Society’s Specialist Quality Mark for Clinical Negligence.

And in addition, our medical claims team consists only of experienced and qualified solicitors – your case is not run by a call centre junior but by an individual local solicitor. And what’s more, one of those solicitors is also a qualified and experienced nurse.

WHY CHOOSE US FOR YOUR MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM?

o We are not a claims company or a faceless call centre operation. We are Bonallack and Bishop, a local law firm with offices near to Winchester [in Salisbury, Amesbury and Andover] who specialise in medical negligence cases

o We offer both initial phone advice and a first consultation FREE of charge

o We can visit you at home or in hospital anywhere in Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset, if you are too unwell to travel

o You needn’t worry about funding your claim either, because we offer ‘no win, no fee’ agreements for medical negligence claims

o We understand that some medical negligence claims involve very personal information – so you have a choice of a male or female solicitor to run your case

NEED ADVICE ON A MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM IN WINCHESTER? CONTACT US NOW

If you have been the victim of medical negligence, our medical negligence team can help you. For the compensation you deserve, simply get in touch with us today.

For FREE initial advice from expert Medical Negligence Solicitors you can trust

• Call our team now FREE on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544, or call one of our local offices directly on Salisbury [01722] 422300 or Andover [01264] 364433
  OR
• Email us using the contact form below