Law Firms List

Law Firms That Challenge the NHS: Public Law, Judicial Review & Medical Negligence Solicitors

TL;DR

There is no single type of “NHS lawyer”.

The solicitor you need depends on what has gone wrong and what you want the law to do.

If you want to challenge an NHS policy, commissioning decision, treatment restriction or unlawful public decision, you may need a solicitor specialising in public law and judicial review.

If negligent healthcare caused injury, you are more likely to need a clinical negligence solicitor.

If the issue involves discrimination, human rights, reproductive autonomy, an inquest or a death, you may need a firm with expertise crossing several legal areas.

This page provides a starting list of UK law firms whose published work includes representing individuals, patients, families or campaigning groups in these areas.

It is not a ranking, recommendation or endorsement.

Before contacting a firm

Check that it represents claimants in the area you need.

Some healthcare law firms primarily defend NHS organisations, doctors or insurers. Others represent patients challenging them.

Also check:

  • whether the firm currently accepts your type of case;
  • whether it offers Legal Aid, Conditional Fee Agreements or another funding option;
  • whether there is a legal deadline approaching;
  • and whether a conflict of interest prevents it from acting.

Last reviewed: September 2026.

Contents

Start here: what kind of NHS lawyer do you need?

Choose the situation closest to yours.

I want to challenge an NHS policy, commissioning decision or refusal to fund treatment

Look for a firm specialising in:

  • public law;
  • judicial review;
  • healthcare access;
  • human rights;
  • and potentially equality law.

Firms on this page with published work in this area include:

  • Bindmans;
  • DPG Law;
  • Leigh Day;
  • Irwin Mitchell;
  • Hodge Jones & Allen;
  • and Simpson Millar.

Go to public-law firms →

NHS treatment physically or psychologically harmed me and I want compensation

Look for an accredited clinical negligence solicitor.

Potential issues include:

  • misdiagnosis;
  • delayed diagnosis;
  • surgical injury;
  • medication errors;
  • gynaecological injury;
  • birth injury;
  • failure to monitor;
  • or failure of informed consent causing harm.

Go to clinical-negligence firms →

I believe an NHS policy discriminates against women or another protected group

Look for a firm with expertise in:

  • judicial review;
  • Equality Act law;
  • the Public Sector Equality Duty;
  • human rights;
  • and healthcare policy.

Relevant published practices on this page include Bindmans, DPG Law, Leigh Day, Hodge Jones & Allen, Irwin Mitchell and Simpson Millar.

My case concerns female sterilisation, contraception, fertility or reproductive autonomy

The right type of solicitor depends on the issue.

Policy restriction or unequal access:
public law / judicial review / equality / human rights.

Negligent operation or physical injury:
clinical negligence, ideally with gynaecology or women's-health expertise.

Failure to disclose risks or alternatives:
clinical negligence / informed consent, potentially alongside human-rights issues.

Go to reproductive-health cases →

A relative died and I need legal representation at an inquest

Look specifically for a firm with experience representing bereaved families at inquests.

An inquest lawyer may also need to understand:

  • Article 2;
  • clinical negligence;
  • mental-health law;
  • patient safety;
  • and Prevention of Future Deaths reports.

Go to inquests →

I do not know whether I have a legal case at all

Before approaching multiple firms, read:

Taking Legal Action Against the NHS →

If the issue is possible clinical negligence, you can also use the independent AvMA Find a Solicitor service.

Quick comparison of the firms on this page

Firm Public law / JR Clinical negligence Human rights / equality Inquests
Bindmans Yes Not the focus of this listing Yes Some public-authority work
DPG Law Yes No general clinical-negligence practice listed here Yes Yes
Leigh Day Yes Yes Yes Yes
Irwin Mitchell Yes Yes Yes Ask relevant team
Hodge Jones & Allen Yes Yes Yes Yes
Simpson Millar Yes Yes Yes Yes within relevant team
Bolt Burdon Kemp Not the focus of this listing Yes Through negligence issues where relevant Fatal claims
Fieldfisher Not the focus of this listing Yes Depends on case Yes in relevant medical cases
Kingsley Napley Separate public-law expertise available Yes Separate specialist teams Relevant healthcare work
Osbornes Law Not the focus of this listing Yes Depends on case Fatal negligence cases
Stephensons Other specialist teams exist Yes Depends on case Hospital-death and inquest work published
Hudgell Solicitors Civil-liberties work separately available Yes Depends on case Yes

This table identifies published practice areas only. It does not mean a firm will accept every case falling within that category.

Law firms for NHS policy, judicial review and public-law challenges

If your problem is not primarily that a doctor injured you, but that an NHS organisation made an unlawful policy or decision, clinical-negligence law may be the wrong starting point.

Look for solicitors experienced in:

  • judicial review;
  • public law;
  • NHS commissioning;
  • access to healthcare;
  • human rights;
  • equality;
  • and challenges against public authorities.

Bindmans LLP

Relevant published areas: judicial review, public law, human rights, civil liberties, discrimination and equality.

Bindmans has a specialist claimant public-law practice representing individuals, organisations and campaign groups challenging decisions made by public authorities.

Its published public-law work includes cases involving:

  • access to healthcare;
  • NHS treatment that had previously been refused;
  • regulatory decisions;
  • human rights;
  • discrimination;
  • and strategic public-interest litigation.

The firm has also acted in litigation concerning NHS regulation, including challenges involving regulation of healthcare professionals.

Potentially relevant for: NHS policy challenges, healthcare-access disputes, equality, human rights, regulatory failure and judicial review.

Visit Bindmans' public-law team →

DPG Law — Deighton Pierce Glynn

Relevant published areas: judicial review, public law, human rights, claims against public authorities, information and privacy rights, inquests and inquiries.

DPG is a specialist civil-rights and public-law firm.

Its work focuses heavily on challenging public authorities and using litigation to address systemic problems.

The firm states that much of its work is for individuals and that it also collaborates with campaigning groups, NGOs and civil-society organisations in strategic litigation.

Its published work has included judicial reviews involving healthcare access and NHS bodies.

DPG also currently states that it holds Legal Aid contracts in areas including:

  • public law and judicial review;
  • civil claims against public authorities;
  • and inquest-related work.

Potentially relevant for: systemic NHS challenges, public-law disputes, human rights, equality, information rights and cases requiring strategic litigation.

Visit DPG Law →

Leigh Day

Relevant published areas: NHS access to treatment, judicial review, public law, human rights, fertility law, medical negligence, women's health and inquests.

Leigh Day is unusual on this list because it has substantial practices on both sides of the NHS legal divide:

challenging NHS policies and treatment-access decisions

and

bringing clinical-negligence claims after harmful treatment.

Its public-law and human-rights team specifically publishes work challenging:

  • NHS commissioning policies;
  • individual treatment-funding decisions;
  • patient-choice restrictions;
  • fertility-treatment decisions;
  • discrimination;
  • and healthcare-access decisions.

Its fertility-law practice expressly describes using judicial review to challenge refusals of NHS-funded fertility treatment and using human-rights law in cases involving discrimination and inequality.

The firm also has a large claimant medical-negligence practice covering:

  • gynaecology;
  • women's health;
  • consent;
  • surgical negligence;
  • misdiagnosis;
  • and other forms of medical injury.

Potentially relevant for: cases crossing healthcare access, reproductive rights, equality, human rights and medical negligence.

Access to treatment and public law →

Fertility law →

Medical negligence →

Irwin Mitchell

Relevant published areas: public law, human rights, judicial review, NHS healthcare disputes, Court of Protection and medical negligence.

Irwin Mitchell has both:

  • a Public Law & Human Rights practice;
  • and a large Medical Negligence practice.

Its public-law lawyers publish work challenging NHS and public-body decisions involving:

  • treatment funding;
  • healthcare provision;
  • changes to NHS services;
  • care packages;
  • NHS Continuing Healthcare;
  • medical-treatment disputes;
  • and decisions made by Integrated Care Boards.

The firm's claimant medical-negligence team also brings compensation claims against NHS organisations and healthcare professionals.

Potentially relevant for: cases involving a mixture of NHS decision-making, access to care, disability, human rights, serious clinical injury or Court of Protection issues.

Public Law & Human Rights →

NHS medical-negligence claims →

Hodge Jones & Allen

Relevant published areas: judicial review, human rights, equality, civil liberties, medical negligence, inquests and public inquiries.

Hodge Jones & Allen has represented claimants in judicial reviews challenging NHS England treatment-funding decisions.

Its public-law and human-rights practice includes:

  • judicial review;
  • equality and discrimination;
  • human-rights claims;
  • inquests;
  • and claims against public authorities.

It also has a separate medical-negligence practice acting against:

  • NHS hospitals;
  • GPs;
  • and private healthcare providers.

Some members of its medical-negligence team hold specialist clinical-negligence accreditation.

Potentially relevant for: NHS funding disputes, judicial review, human-rights cases, medical negligence and healthcare-related inquests.

Public law and human rights →

Medical negligence →

Simpson Millar

Relevant published areas: judicial review, public law, human rights, community care, claims against public authorities, inquests and medical negligence.

Simpson Millar has separate teams working in both public-law litigation and medical negligence.

Its Public Law & Human Rights team represents people challenging decisions made by public bodies and specifically advertises judicial-review work.

Its healthcare-related public-law work includes disputes involving:

  • access to care;
  • care funding;
  • community care;
  • human rights;
  • and public-authority decision-making.

The firm currently states that much of its public-law work is Legal Aid funded, subject to eligibility.

It also has a claimant medical-negligence practice dealing with NHS treatment failures.

Potentially relevant for: NHS/public-body challenges, disability and care issues, human rights, judicial review and clinical negligence.

Public Law & Human Rights →

Medical negligence →

Law firms for NHS clinical and medical negligence

If negligent NHS treatment caused injury, the relevant specialism is usually called:

clinical negligence

or

medical negligence.

These cases commonly involve:

  • breach of duty;
  • causation;
  • independent medical expert evidence;
  • and assessment of financial and non-financial loss.
Use a specialist.

Clinical negligence is highly technical.

AvMA specifically recommends using an accredited specialist clinical-negligence solicitor rather than choosing a solicitor simply because they advertise general personal-injury work.

Leigh Day, Irwin Mitchell, Hodge Jones & Allen and Simpson Millar — already listed above — also have claimant clinical-negligence practices.

The following firms are additional examples.

Bolt Burdon Kemp

Relevant published areas: NHS negligence, complex medical injury, gynaecology, women's health, maternity, cancer and surgical negligence.

Bolt Burdon Kemp has a specialist medical-negligence practice representing people harmed by NHS and private healthcare.

Of particular relevance to this site's subject matter, the firm has a dedicated women's health and gynaecology practice.

Its published work includes claims involving:

  • gynaecological surgery;
  • fertility-related injury;
  • hysterectomy;
  • gynaecological cancers;
  • birth injury;
  • and other women's-health treatment failures.

Potentially relevant for: physical injury caused by negligent gynaecological or reproductive healthcare.

NHS negligence claims →

Women's health and gynaecology →

Fieldfisher

Relevant published areas: NHS medical negligence, serious injury, obstetrics, gynaecology, surgical negligence and fatal claims.

Fieldfisher's claimant medical-negligence practice represents patients in claims against NHS organisations.

Its published gynaecology work specifically includes claims involving:

  • laparoscopic sterilisation;
  • failed sterilisation;
  • defective consent;
  • fertility injury;
  • uterine injury;
  • and gynaecological surgery.

This makes its published experience particularly relevant where the issue concerns harm caused by treatment itself rather than the legality of an NHS commissioning policy.

NHS negligence claims →

Gynaecology negligence →

Kingsley Napley

Relevant published areas: medical negligence, hospital negligence, serious injury and related public-law expertise within the wider firm.

Kingsley Napley's medical-negligence team represents patients and families following substandard treatment in NHS and private hospitals.

Its published practice includes claims involving:

  • delayed diagnosis;
  • birth injury;
  • surgical errors;
  • GP negligence;
  • cancer;
  • and serious hospital injury.

The firm's medical-negligence team can also draw on other specialist departments where a case intersects with matters such as public law, regulatory issues or Court of Protection.

Hospital negligence →

Osbornes Law

Relevant published areas: NHS medical negligence, hospital negligence, diagnosis failures, surgical injury, birth injury and fatal negligence.

Osbornes acts for claimants across England and Wales in NHS and private healthcare negligence cases.

Its published practice includes:

  • surgical negligence;
  • delayed or missed diagnosis;
  • birth injuries;
  • medication errors;
  • hospital-acquired infection;
  • mental-health care negligence;
  • and fatal NHS negligence.

The firm states that members of its team include solicitors accredited through specialist clinical-negligence schemes.

NHS negligence claims →

Stephensons Solicitors

Relevant published areas: NHS hospital negligence, medical negligence, failures of diagnosis and treatment, hospital deaths and inquests.

Stephensons publishes a dedicated NHS hospital-negligence service covering areas including:

  • failure to diagnose;
  • failure to provide treatment;
  • medication errors;
  • poor wound care;
  • hospital supervision;
  • and deaths following allegedly negligent treatment.

Potentially relevant for: compensation claims following avoidable NHS clinical harm.

NHS hospital negligence →

Hudgell Solicitors

Relevant published areas: medical negligence, NHS hospital claims, maternity, birth injury, fatal negligence, inquests and public inquiries.

Hudgell Solicitors represents patients and families in serious medical-negligence cases involving NHS providers.

Its published work includes:

  • birth injury;
  • maternity negligence;
  • misdiagnosis;
  • surgical error;
  • GP negligence;
  • fatal cases;
  • inquests;
  • and public inquiries.

Potentially relevant for: serious NHS injury, maternity cases, deaths and cases where a family is also seeking answers through an inquest or inquiry.

Visit Hudgell Solicitors' medical-negligence service →

Which firms may be relevant to reproductive-health and sterilisation cases?

There is an important distinction between:

challenging access to treatment

and

claiming for harm caused by treatment.

If you are challenging an NHS sterilisation, fertility or contraception policy

You probably need public law rather than clinical negligence.

Look for experience involving:

  • judicial review;
  • NHS commissioning;
  • access to treatment;
  • Equality Act law;
  • Public Sector Equality Duty;
  • Article 8;
  • and reproductive autonomy.

Potential firms from this list include:

  • Leigh Day — particularly notable because it specifically publishes fertility-law and NHS access-to-treatment work;
  • Bindmans — public law, human rights and equality;
  • DPG Law — public law, human rights and strategic litigation;
  • Hodge Jones & Allen — judicial review, equality and human rights;
  • Irwin Mitchell — public law, human rights and NHS healthcare disputes;
  • Simpson Millar — public law and human-rights challenges.

If sterilisation or gynaecological treatment caused physical injury

Look for clinical-negligence expertise in:

  • gynaecology;
  • women's health;
  • sterilisation;
  • fertility loss;
  • surgical injury;
  • or informed consent.

Relevant published practices include:

  • Bolt Burdon Kemp — dedicated women's-health and gynaecology work;
  • Fieldfisher — expressly lists laparoscopic sterilisation, failed sterilisation and defective-consent claims;
  • Leigh Day — women's health, gynaecology and consent within its medical-negligence practice;
  • and other accredited clinical-negligence firms identified through AvMA.
The same reproductive-health story can require two completely different legal teams.

“The NHS unlawfully restricted my access to sterilisation.”
→ public law / judicial review / equality / human rights.

“My sterilisation operation was negligently performed and injured me.”
→ clinical negligence.

“I was not properly informed about risks or alternatives and suffered harm.”
→ informed-consent / clinical-negligence analysis.

Which firms deal with NHS deaths and inquests?

If somebody has died following NHS care, do not assume that every clinical-negligence solicitor also has substantial inquest experience.

An inquest is a separate legal process.

Depending on the death, you may need expertise in:

  • coroner law;
  • Article 2;
  • healthcare failings;
  • mental-health services;
  • clinical negligence;
  • public law;
  • and Prevention of Future Deaths reports.

Firms on this page publishing inquest or healthcare-death work include:

  • DPG Law;
  • Leigh Day;
  • Hodge Jones & Allen;
  • Simpson Millar;
  • Hudgell Solicitors;
  • and several of the specialist clinical-negligence practices listed above.

You may also wish to contact INQUEST, the specialist charity supporting bereaved families following state-related deaths.

Independent directories for finding NHS solicitors

AvMA — Find a Solicitor

For clinical negligence, this is one of the strongest starting points.

AvMA — Action against Medical Accidents — independently accredits specialist clinical-negligence solicitors representing patients and families.

Its directory allows searches by:

  • region;
  • national coverage;
  • gynaecology;
  • obstetrics;
  • fatal claims;
  • inquests;
  • psychiatric negligence;
  • surgery;
  • delayed diagnosis;
  • and other specialist areas.

Search AvMA-accredited clinical-negligence solicitors →

The Law Society — Find a Solicitor

The Law Society's official solicitor search uses regulatory information from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

You can search by:

  • legal issue;
  • location;
  • firm;
  • individual solicitor;
  • Legal Aid;
  • language;
  • and specialist accreditation.

Find a Solicitor →

Legal Aid adviser search

If funding is a major issue and your case concerns judicial review, discrimination, public law or another area potentially within the Legal Aid scheme, use the government's official adviser search.

Find a Legal Aid adviser →

What accreditations should you look for?

Clinical negligence

Look particularly for:

  • AvMA Specialist Clinical Negligence Panel accreditation;
  • Law Society Clinical Negligence Accreditation;
  • and relevant APIL specialist accreditation where applicable.

Accreditation does not guarantee the outcome of your case.

But it is useful evidence that the individual lawyer has been assessed for specialist expertise.

Public law

There is no equivalent single NHS judicial-review accreditation.

Instead, look at:

  • the firm's dedicated public-law team;
  • actual judicial-review experience;
  • healthcare cases;
  • Equality Act and Human Rights Act expertise;
  • Legal Aid public-law contracts where funding matters;
  • and examples of acting for claimants against public bodies.

How might your NHS legal case be funded?

Ask about funding immediately.

Possible arrangements include:

  • Legal Aid;
  • Conditional Fee Agreement — often called “No Win, No Fee”;
  • private funding;
  • legal-expenses insurance;
  • trade-union or membership cover;
  • crowdfunding in some public-interest cases;
  • and other litigation-funding arrangements.

Funding varies greatly by legal area.

Clinical-negligence firms frequently use Conditional Fee Agreements.

Public-law firms may use Legal Aid where the case and applicant qualify.

A firm should explain:

  • what you pay if you win;
  • what you pay if you lose;
  • how expert fees are funded;
  • whether insurance is required;
  • whether a success fee applies;
  • and whether you face liability for the other side's costs.

Why might a law firm decline your NHS case?

A refusal does not necessarily mean nothing went wrong.

A solicitor may decline because:

  • the legal merits are insufficient;
  • causation cannot be established;
  • the potential damages are too low compared with the cost of expert evidence;
  • the judicial-review deadline has expired;
  • another legal route is more appropriate;
  • the firm does not practise in the right specialism;
  • the firm has a conflict of interest;
  • funding cannot be obtained;
  • or the firm's current caseload means it cannot accept the matter.

AvMA specifically notes that one accredited solicitor declining a clinical-negligence case does not prevent you from approaching another specialist.

How should you contact a law firm?

Do not begin by attaching hundreds of pages unless the firm specifically asks for them.

Your first enquiry should allow the lawyer to identify:

what happened → what type of law may be involved → when it happened → what outcome you want.

Subject: Potential NHS [judicial review / clinical negligence / equality] case — decision dated [date]

Dear [Firm],

I am seeking an initial assessment regarding a potential legal case involving [NHS organisation].

Issue:
[Two or three sentences explaining what happened.]

Important date:
[Decision / injury / date of knowledge.]

Potential legal issues:
[For example judicial review, PSED, Equality Act, Article 8, clinical negligence, informed consent.]

Evidence currently available:
[Policy / medical records / PHSO report / FOI documents / correspondence / EqIA.]

Steps already taken:
[Complaint / Ombudsman / FOI / regulator / appeal.]

Outcome sought:
[Policy reconsidered / access to treatment / compensation / legal declaration / other.]

I have a concise chronology and the supporting evidence available if this falls within your practice.

Please could you confirm whether you are able to assess the matter and what funding options may be available?

Kind regards,
[Name]

Questions to ask before instructing a solicitor

Consider asking:

  • Do you regularly act for patients or claimants against NHS bodies?
  • Have you handled cases involving this particular legal issue?
  • Who will actually conduct my case?
  • Does that person hold relevant specialist accreditation?
  • What do you consider the likely legal route?
  • What is the limitation deadline?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the case?
  • How will the case be funded?
  • What could I have to pay if the case is unsuccessful?
  • Will independent medical or other expert evidence be required?
  • What outcome can this legal route realistically provide?
  • Do you foresee any conflict of interest?

Do not lose your legal claim while looking for a lawyer

A complaint does not necessarily stop the legal clock.

Neither does an FOI request.

Neither does an Ombudsman investigation.

Neither does contacting charities or regulators.

As a broad warning:

  • Judicial review: normally promptly and no later than three months after the grounds arose;
  • Equality Act services/public-functions claims: generally six months less one day;
  • Human Rights Act proceedings: normally one year;
  • clinical negligence: generally three years, subject to important exceptions;
  • ICO Decision Notice appeal: normally 28 days.

Do not calculate a complicated limitation period from this page alone.

If a deadline may be approaching, tell the solicitor immediately.

Read the full legal-routes guide →

Choose the lawyer for the legal problem — not merely because the problem happened inside the NHS.

An NHS policy challenge needs a public-law lawyer.

A negligent operation needs a clinical-negligence lawyer.

An equality case needs discrimination expertise.

A death may need an inquest specialist.

A reproductive-rights case may cross public law, equality and human rights.

The NHS is the setting. The legal issue determines the specialist.

Official directories and firm links

Independent solicitor directories:

Law firms included in this guide:

This list is deliberately not called “the best NHS law firms”.

The strongest solicitor for one case may be completely wrong for another.

What matters is whether the lawyer understands the specific legal issue, has relevant claimant experience, can obtain appropriate funding and is willing to take the case.

Find the right specialism first. Then find the right lawyer within it.