HAMPSHIRE BASED MEDICAL COMPENSATION CLAIM SPECIALISTS
Do you need specialist legal advice to help with your medical negligence compensation claim in Hampshire? Here at local Hampshire law firm, Bonallack & Bishop, our Law Society accredited specialist team of medical negligence solicitors can help.
Medical negligence can happen anywhere where a person is under the care of a medical professional, and Hampshire is no different. Just that the North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke, for instance, which has been the subject of more than one case of clinical negligence. One court case found that an orthopaedic surgeon was negligent in removing a lump in a patient’s armpit, leaving her with permanent symptoms after nerves were damaged. An independent expert had been very critical of the care the patient received and eventually the NHS Trust settled the case outside of course rather than taking it to the final level of proceedings.
Victim of a medical mistake? Call our specialist medical negligence solicitors now on ANDOVER [01264] 364433 or FORDINGBRIDGE [01425] 652110
The National Health Service is one of the UK’s best loved institutions and it isn’t hard to see why. It does its best to make sure that everyone who needs care gets it, regardless of their ability to pay – and the vast majority of the time that care is of an impressively high standard.
However, it has been estimated that around 5% of people are dissatisfied with the service and level of care they have received relating to the diagnosis and treatment of a condition. Some of these people go on to make medical negligence claims; around 7000 such claims are made every year.
Hampshire Hospitals
Hampshire residents are mainly treated by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT). Other major providers include Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (Queen Alexandra Hospital), University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, and the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which provides community and mental health services.
NHS league tables September 2025 update – Hampshire Hospitals ranked 2 of the worst in the country!
In the new NHS hospital league tables (September 2025), the three main acute trusts serving Hampshire were placed at very different levels.
The reasonable news? University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust ranked 48th out of 134, putting it just below the halfway mark.
But the bad news is that 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 much lower at 101st out of 134, worryingly near the bottom of the table.
And worse still, Portsmouth Hospitals University National Health Service Trust was ranked at 104! It runs St Mary’s Hospital, Gosport War Memorial Hospital and
Petersfield Community Hospital.
That puts both the Hampshire and Portsmouth Hospitals Trusts in what is defined as category 4 of the table – the worst performing hospitals in the country!
Southampton has a strong reputation for specialist care, but inspectors have flagged problems with emergency department pressures and long waiting times, which are reflected in its mid-table position.
But the Hampshire Hospital Trust has faced even more criticism. The Care Quality Commission has rated parts of its services, including urgent and emergency care, as “requires improvement”, and highlighted concerns about patient flow and staffing levels.
For patients in Hampshire, these rankings show that standards are worrying at many of the county’s hospitals. Good care is available, but many of the medical services run by the Hampshire and Portsmouth hospital trusts are not performing well.
Hampshire – too many substandard Hospitals – too many medical negligence claim
If you or a family member has suffered harm in Hampshire due to mistakes in medical treatment, you are not alone. Over the years, earlier reports on hospitals in England and Wales by hospital regulator, the Care Quality Commission, make pretty disappointing reading. And Hampshire is not immune.
Recent Safety and Inspection Findings in Hampshire hospitals
Hampshire residents are mainly treated by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT). Other major providers include Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (Queen Alexandra Hospital), University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, and the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which provides community and mental health services.
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has reported several Never Events in recent years. In 2023/24, the Trust recorded four Never Events, and provisional figures for 2024/25 show six Never Events. These include wrong-site procedures and retained surgical items, all of which are classed as incidents that should never occur if safety systems are working.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has raised concerns about maternity care within Hampshire. At Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, inspectors downgraded the maternity unit in 2023 after concerns about leadership and risk assessment.
Meanwhile, the maternity unit at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital also faced scrutiny, with inspectors highlighting the need for improvements in staffing and safety processes.
University Hospital Southampton, which provides specialist care for much of Hampshire, currently holds a “Requires Improvement” rating overall, with inspectors highlighting challenges in urgent and emergency services. Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, run by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, has also been rated “Requires Improvement” in key areas such as patient safety and waiting times
And this is nothing new. Previously, three of the Hampshire based NHS Trusts were described by the CQC as “requiring improvement” – Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, and Solent NHS Trust
And in addition, the following three individual Hampshire NHS hospitals were also identified as requiring improvement.
- Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth
- Southampton General Hospital
- Andover War Memorial Hospital run by the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation
Hampshire medical mistakes – Recent Cases and Inquests
There have been several high-profile cases involving Hampshire hospitals. In Winchester, the death of Lucy Howell during childbirth in 2021 led to a coroner’s inquest in 2023.
The coroner highlighted concerns about communication and clinical decision-making, and the case received national media attention. In another case, the death of baby Norah at Winchester in 2019 prompted investigations into maternity care standards and resulted in criticism of the Trust’s handling of high-risk deliveries.
Coroners in Hampshire have also issued Prevention of Future Deaths reports in recent years. These have raised issues ranging from delays in recognising sepsis to failures in monitoring patients at risk of deterioration. Each report requires the relevant hospital trust to respond and demonstrate learning from the case.
What This Means for Patients in Hampshire
Patients in Hampshire are served by a large number of hospitals and community services. While most care is delivered safely, recent “Never Events“, inquests, and inspection reports show that mistakes continue to happen. These range from serious incidents in maternity care to problems with urgent and emergency services. The publication of these reports is designed to ensure that lessons are learned, but they also highlight the real impact on patients and families.
If you have experienced harm, you may be entitled to bring a claim. Our medical negligence solicitors can guide you through the process, obtain your medical records, and advise you on whether you may have grounds for compensation.
Thinking of making a medical negligence claim? Home and hospital visits available throughout Hampshire
Wherever you live in Hampshire, if you can’t get to our offices easily you can either instruct us by e-mail, video call or phone.
Alternatively, we can arrange home and hospital visits for one of our medical negligence solicitors to see you throughout Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Wiltshire or Dorset.
FREE initial advice – FREE 1st interview with our specialist medical negligence solicitors
Our team of Hampshire solicitors completely understand the importance of being fully informed about your case before you decide to make a claim for compensation following a medical accident. That’s why we provide;
- FREE no obligation initial advice over the phone or Zoom video call
- a FREE no obligation first appointment at one of our Hampshire Offices – or at home or on the phone or on Zoom video – whatever works for you best
WHAT TYPE OF MEDICAL CLAIMS CAN YOU HELP ME WITH?
Our team have the experience and ability to run the full range of medical compensation claims – including the following.
- Cancer Claims
- Cardiology Negligence
- Children’s medical negligence
- Chiropractor Negligence Claim
- Eye injury claims
- GP negligence
- Misdiagnosis
- MRSA Negligence Claims
- Negligent treatment of sports injuries
- NHS A and E claims
- Nursing home negligence
- Physiotherapy negligence claims
- Incorrect prescription claims and pharmacy errors
- Surgical negligence
Do I have grounds for a medical negligence claim?
Sadly, too many people become unhappy with the treatment they receive from a doctor or health professional.
This is very different from clinical negligence [which is simply another term for medical negligence and means exactly the same thing]. Actual medical negligence covers very serious breaches of care and can result in a legal battle.
The 2 main guidelines for what constitutes medical negligence are fairly clear.
1. Has there been a breach of the duty of care?
Every health professional is responsible for the proper care and treatment of patients. Proving the breach of that duty is the trickiest aspect.
Just because some form of injury has been caused and another person is responsible for that damage is not always enough to prove clinical negligence. All patients are different and respond differently to care. So certain amount of leeway is given to doctors as medical science is not as predictable or exact a science as many people assume.
This is an important distinction to make, as it allows for doctors and medical professionals to allow a certain amount of risk, giving them the freedom to ensure they can find the right cure or treatment for you. Tightening this amount of leeway would discourage doctors from finding the right course of action for each individual patient. It is also the case that their actions should be considered unreasonable by the standards of a regular, competent doctor. If your treatment simply did not work out as well as had been hoped, you would not have grounds for claiming medical negligence.
2. Would a competent professional have done the same?
Only if the level of care was found to be below that which is expected of a competent professional, and that it was this direct action which caused injury or death, and that the injury or death would have been avoidable had the action not been taken, could there be a case for clinical or medical negligence. Trying to ascertain the existence of negligence alone can be difficult, and it is for this reason that it is highly recommended that you speak to 1 of our specialist medical negligence solicitors if you suspect that you might have been in a position where you might have suffered a negligent medical error.
No need to worry about legal bills – no win no fee available for medical negligence compensation claims
Clinical negligence claims are complex and legal bills can be high. But you don’t need to worry about that. When you instruct us, we can run your claim for compensation using a no win no fee agreement.
Click here for more about how a no win no fee agreement can help you.
Our Expert Medical Negligence Solicitors Can Help You with a Full Range of Compensation Claims
No matter what type of medical negligence you have experienced, we can help you claim compensation – ranging from birth injury claims and surgical mistakes to GP errors and cancer misdiagnosis.
Don’t Delay Making Your Claim – Contact Us Today
Don’t forget that all medical compensation claims are subject to strict time limits – so if you’re thinking of making a claim, don’t delay – get in touch with our team, based in Andover and Fordingbridge, Hampshire, straight away.
Looking for Hampshire Medical Negligence Solicitors? Call Now
If you’re looking for a law firm with national quality specialist expertise who can deliver that service locally – get in touch with our medical negligence solicitors today.
- Bonallack and Bishop, Bonallack and Bishop
Suite 1, Healey House, Dene Road, 5, Provost Street
Andover Fordingbridge
Hampshire Hampshire
SP10 2AA SP6 1AZ
Tel: Andover (01264) 364433 Tel: Fordingbridge (01425) 652110
- Call us on one of our Andover or Fordingbridge phone numbers OR
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