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We know how devastating significant delays in medical treatment can be – affecting everything from your immediate physical and emotional welfare, to your long-term quality of life.
If your diagnosis or treatment was delayed due to negligence, our experienced solicitors will investigate your claim, find answers and secure your financial future. With a long history of recovering millions in compensation for our clients, trust us to build your case and reach the best possible settlement.

Do you have a delayed treatment claim?
Not all clinical delays are considered negligent. But if you believe avoidable errors caused your treatment to be set back – and this hurt you physically, emotionally or financially – we are here to support your delayed treatment claim.
Whether your delay was due to misplaced test results, poor scheduling or false reassurance from your doctors – our trusted delayed treatment solicitors handle the complexities of litigation, present the strongest case possible, and secure a payout that supports you and your family’s future.

The specialist delayed treatment claims solicitors for Essex & East Anglia
Since 1993, we have represented claims worth hundreds of thousands of pounds for clients affected by delayed treatment across Essex and East Anglia.
Our exclusive experience and expertise in medical negligence cases ensure we review all evidence and get to the bottom of what happened to you. 96% of our cases are resolved out of court, and through our ‘no win, no fee’ approach, you enjoy total peace of mind at every step of your journey.
How much could your delayed treatment claim be worth?
What does our delayed treatment claims process look like?

A free initial consultation
Call us, request a callback or complete our online form and we’ll assess if you have a valid medical negligence claim.

Funding your claim
Discover the ways we can fund your claim without you paying a penny at any stage of the process.

Investigating evidence
We gather medical records, witness statements and more to learn what happened to you and prove your claim.

Instructing independent medical experts
We work with impartial, experienced medical experts to establish whether your injuries were due to substandard medical care.

Valuing your claim
We assess your health and financial losses to accurately estimate how much compensation your claim is worth.

Presenting your case
We contact the Defendants and the Courts on your behalf to set out your allegations and receive a response.

Negotiating a settlement
We work to achieve a fair settlement for you outside the courtroom – this is how 96% of our cases end.

Preparing for Trial
If we must proceed to Trial, we fully prepare you for what to expect so you receive the right result in court.
FAQs about delayed treatment claims
What is the definition of delayed treatment?
Delayed treatment is when someone waits longer for a medical misdiagnosis or treatment, whether that is due to hospital waiting times, GP negligence or setbacks in usual processes.
For delayed treatment to be considered negligent:
- The delay must be due to a healthcare professional breaching their duty of care
- The delay must be significant
- The delay must have directly caused the claimant’s injuries
If delayed treatment is due to mistakes by a healthcare professional – mistakes that no reasonable professional in their position would have made – this is a breach of their duty of care.
A significant delay in treatment means there has been a change in the patient’s condition, prognosis or treatment options. If none of these changes, the delay is not considered significant, and there is no claim.
For example, if a doctor fails to diagnose a patient’s lung cancer, but it is identified the following week, it is unlikely the patient’s prognosis will have changed significantly. However, if the delay extends to several months, then it is more likely that there has been a noticeable change, and the person affected has a compensation claim.
When does a delay in treatment become significant?
The time it takes for delayed treatment to become significant depends on the type of illness or injury the patient has.
For slow-moving diseases such as many types of cancer, it may take months for the delay in diagnosis or treatment to have an impact.
However, our solicitors have represented claims where the delay becomes significant much sooner, such as a case where our client tragically died just over a week after his coronary heart disease was initially misdiagnosed.
When is medical negligence to blame for delayed treatment?
For delayed treatment to be considered negligent, you must prove that a healthcare professional breached their duty of care towards a claimant, and that the claimant’s condition, prognosis or treatment options changed as a result.
There are circumstances where delayed treatment is justifiable, even if a patient’s condition worsens. This includes cases of differential diagnoses, where there are multiple different causes for a patient’s ill health.
Imagine that following diagnosis, a patient is deemed to have one of three conditions:
- A fast-moving, potentially fatal disease
- A progressive condition
- A benign condition that does not require treatment
A healthcare professional will prioritise the first option, as it presents the most immediate risk. Should further tests rule this out, they would then proceed to the next possible condition.
In this scenario, if the patient did have the second condition, it may have progressed while the testing was conducted for the first condition. However, if a healthcare professional had a solid rationale to delay this treatment, there are no grounds for a claim.
However, if a healthcare professional started treating the second condition, when in fact the patient was suffering from the first condition, this could be considered negligent as they did not prioritise their diagnoses correctly.
Working with an experienced delayed treatment claims solicitor, such as our experts at Gadsby Wicks, ensures that any negligence you suffered is found and proven, so you recover the compensation you deserve.
Where do I start with a delayed treatment claim?
Start your claim by speaking to experienced delayed treatment claims solicitors, such as our team at Gadsby Wicks.
We are regarded as one of the best medical negligence firms in the UK and will always be transparent with you about the claims process, where you are assigned one dedicated lawyer to manage your case from start to finish.
We thoroughly investigate all available evidence to support your claim, including:
- Witness statements
- Medical records
- Complaint correspondence
- Financial evidence
- Independent medical opinion
- Photographs
We will contact relevant, impartial medical professionals to determine whether the delay to your medical treatment was unreasonable and negligent, and what impact this delay had on your treatment options and prognosis.

Our investigation may conclude that a delay was justifiable, or that it had no effect on the treatment you received or your long-term prognosis. We are always honest with our clients, even if that means informing them that we believe they do not have a viable claim.
However, if our experts confirm that a healthcare professional breached their duty of care to you and this changed your treatment options and/or prognosis, we work hard to ensure that you are fully compensated. This may include instances related to Sepsis Claims, Cancer Claims or Brain Injury Claims caused or worsened by delays.
If you believe you or a loved one has been affected by delayed treatment, speaking to experienced delayed treatment claims solicitors, such as our team at Gadsby Wicks, will ensure you receive the guidance you need to secure the justice and compensation you deserve.
How can I fund my delayed treatment claim?
At Gadsby Wicks, we offer multiple routes to fund your claim.
Most often, our clients use a ‘no win, no fee‘ agreement, which guarantees that you will not pay anything if your claim is unsuccessful. Our payment is recovered from the compensation you receive.
Alternatively, you may qualify for the Legal Aid Scheme, or have access to legal expenses insurance.
How long do delayed treatment claims take to settle?
We would advise that you should expect a delayed treatment claim to take anywhere between two and five years to reach a final settlement.
This will vary depending on the stance taken by the Defendants, and how long it takes medical experts to determine an accurate prognosis.
Contact our expert delayed treatment claims solicitors
If you or a loved one believe you have been affected by a negligent delay in treatment, and would like to speak to someone about your options, our team is here to listen and advise you on your next steps.

Lexcel accredited medical negligence claims solicitors
We are proud to be a Lexcel-accredited practice. The accreditation is a mark of quality and comes directly from the Law Society.
A recent assessment described us as a “Centre of Excellence” and we continue to operate to the highest standards across all main areas of our field. These include client care, case management, financial management, structure and strategy, people management, risk management, information management and file management.