Services A-Z     Pricing

Blog: Medical Negligence Law

Insights from our Medical negligence and Personal Injury solicitors

Find out more about our Medical Negligence & Personal Injury Services.

4 December 2025

Making the right choice – Why section 2(4) of the Law Reform (Personal Injuries) Act 1948 should not be repealed

The Medical Defence Union is lobbying Parliament for changes to laws relating to clinical negligence claims. It has written an open letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for ‘decisive action to tackle soaring legal costs’. Among its requests, the MDU is repeating its position that section 2(4) of the Law Reform (Personal Injuries) Act 1948 should be repealed. This legislation requires awards of compensation for future care needs, to be based on the cost of future private care and to disregard the availability of treatment within the NHS.

 

James Bell

2 December 2025

Multiple missed opportunities in paediatric orthopaedic care at Addenbrooke's Hospital

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have published a report dealing with concerns around the practices of a trauma and orthopaedic consultant, Ms Kuldeep Stohr, who specialised in treating children at Addenbrooke's Hospital. A clinical review of 800 patients is now underway. Ms Stohr has been suspended.

James Bell

6 October 2025

Unique and United on World Cerebral Palsy Day 2025

This year, World Cerebral Palsy Day falls on 6 October with a theme of ‘#Unique and United’. The Kingsley Napley Medical Negligence and Personal Injury team strongly support the vision of this global movement - which is about recognition of the 50 million people who are living with cerebral palsy and striving for a more accessible and inclusive world.

 

Sharon Burkill

30 September 2025

Where Every Minute Counts: Hypoxic Birth Injuries – Causation and Material Contribution

Legal claims for hypoxic brain injuries during birth – caused by a disruption in oxygen supply - remain prevalent. These injuries can have a devastating impact and lead to lifelong conditions including Cerebral Palsy. Indeed, claims relating to brain injuries sustained during birth account for a significant percentage of the total value of clinical negligence damages paid out each year. This is because the average amount of damages for such cases is very high, not infrequently running to tens of millions of pounds, with some impacted children having lifelong needs for care, treatment, equipment and housing. Nonetheless, claims for clinical negligence in this area can be particularly thorny to prove. In this article I consider when the doctrine of ‘material contribution’ – said by the Court of Appeal to have been bedevilled by apparent inconsistency’ – may apply to hypoxic birth injury cases where the window for avoiding injury can be short. Does every minute really count?

James Bell

17 September 2025

14 Maternity Trusts to be Scrutinised as Part of National Investigation

The Government has this week confirmed the names of 14 Hospital Trusts that will be part of a rapid national investigation of maternity and newborn baby care across England that was announced by Wes Streeting back in June. (See my colleague Sharon Burkill’s blog on that announcement here). I am carefully watching the developments with regard to this investigation, knowing full well from my clients and their stories how desperately improvements to our maternity services are needed.

Kirsty Allen

Skip to content Home About Us Insights Services Contact Accessibility