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GP expert witnesses for claims about primary care.
Our GP experts provide opinions on breach of duty, consent and the interpretation of GP records, for clinical negligence, personal injury and will disputes. Tell us the allegations and your deadline. The search is free, and you see each GP expert’s fee before you instruct anyone.
Breach, consent and causation.
A GP expert gives an opinion on what a reasonably competent GP would have done at the time. Whether that would have changed the outcome is often a question for another specialty.
Breach of duty
Did the GP’s care fall below the standard of a responsible body of general practitioners at the time of the consultation? This is the GP expert’s question.
Consent
Did the GP take reasonable care that the patient knew the material risks, and the reasonable alternatives, before treatment or a prescription?
Causation
Would earlier referral or treatment, on the balance of probabilities, have changed the outcome? Often answered by the specialty that would have treated the patient. Tell us the condition, and we will find an expert in that specialty.
In personal injury claims outside the MedCo route, a GP expert can report on the injury, recovery and prognosis. See personal injury expert witnesses.
What we need.
Start with the allegations, the condition, the dates and your deadline. You get the CVs, fees and availability of GP experts who can take the case. If limitation is near, say so in the enquiry.
Once you instruct, a named case manager manages the instruction through to delivery of the report. Reports usually take 1 to 2 weeks, or 2 to 3 days when urgent. Timescales are estimates and depend on expert availability, the appointment and receipt of the relevant records.
The standard of care.
In England and Wales the Bolam test applies, and in Scotland the Hunter v Hanley test; consent follows Montgomery. The tests are set out on our page on medical negligence expert witnesses.
The expert assesses the care against the guidance that applied on the date of the consultation. In suspected cancer cases in England, that is usually NICE guideline NG12 on recognition and referral, first published in 2015 and last updated on 15 April 2026.
Who defends a GP claim.
Put the date and place of the care in the enquiry, because they decide who defends the claim and which guidance the expert applies.
The CNSGP regulations apply only to services provided as part of the health service in England (SI 2019/334, reg 1), so private GP work falls outside them. In Scotland, GPs are independent contractors and arrange their own indemnity, usually through a medical defence organisation. For care in Northern Ireland, tell us where the care was given.
GP records in will and capacity disputes.
When a will is challenged, the GP record is often the only medical evidence from the time it was made.
The test of testamentary capacity is still Banks v Goodfellow: the Mental Capacity Act 2005 has not overridden it (Clitheroe v Bond [2021] EWHC 1102 (Ch), para 82). The golden rule on medical evidence when a will is made is a guide to avoiding disputes, not a rule of law (para 19).
Where the person has died, the experts work from the papers, principally the medical records. A GP expert can explain what the entries meant at the time, alongside a psychiatrist’s opinion on capacity.
More on testamentary capacity assessments.
Questions about GP expert evidence.
For anything else about your case, call us.
Call 0121 752 6061How much does a GP expert witness cost?
It depends on the expert and the work in the case, so each fee is quoted for your case and comes with the CV, before you instruct anyone.
What does a GP expert witness report cover?
Whether the care met the standard of a reasonably competent GP at the time, allegation by allegation. It lists the records relied on, and the range of opinion where GPs could differ.
Is a GP expert enough on its own?
For breach of duty in general practice, usually yes. For causation, such as whether earlier referral would have changed the outcome, you often need the specialty that would have treated the patient as well.
Should the GP expert still be in practice?
Usually, yes. We check experts for registration and insurance.
Can a GP be a single joint expert?
Yes. Tell us at the start, and the quote is made for the joint instruction.
Send the case. We find the experts.
- The type of caseFamily, personal injury, criminal, immigration, employment…
- The specialty, or the issuesIf you are not sure who you need, describe the medical questions
- The court or tribunalAnd any directions already made about expert evidence
- Your deadlineHearing, filing or limitation date
- How the case is fundedLegal aid, private, CFA or insurer
Send a case enquiry, obtain CVs and quotes in minutes
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You can also call us on 0121 752 6061.
Tell us your deadline, and we find a GP expert who can meet it.
You get the CVs and fees of those who can.