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Last Updated 26 September 2025. If you are misdiagnosed with cancer, it could lead to many complications, such as unnecessary treatment and associated side effects. On the other hand, if your cancer is misdiagnosed as another illness, it could lead to a delay in treatment and a worse prognosis. If the misdiagnosis occurred due to a doctor or other medical professional’s negligent actions, you may wish to make a medical negligence claim against them. This is where our advisory team comes in.
You can start off by using the cancer misdiagnosis calculator on our website. This is a user-friendly online tool that provides an estimated compensation range for your claim, based on the details you enter. Our compensation calculator provides these figures based on the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), which list out various guidance figures for different illnesses. Compensation Calculator UK (CCUK) also offers a complimentary consultation to determine the eligibility of your claim. If you have a valid medical negligence claim, you will be connected to one of the solicitors on our panel, who will then guide you throughout the entire process.
What You Need To Know About Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims
- Can I claim against the NHS?– Yes, if an NHS medical professional misdiagnosed your cancer, you may be able to claim against them.
- Will my misdiagnosis claim cover the mental trauma I suffered?– Yes, in addition to your physical pain and suffering, you may be able to claim for the psychological trauma.
- Can I claim on behalf of a family member?– Yes, you may be able to claim on behalf of a loved one if they are under 18 years old or have a reduced mental capacity. You will need to apply to the court to become a litigation friend.
- How long will my cancer misdiagnosis claim take?– A straightforward claim usually takes between 9 to 12 months. However, it may take longer for a more complex case.
- Will my misdiagnosis claim go to court?– The medical negligence solicitors will try their best to negotiate an out-of-court settlement for you. However, even if your claim goes to litigation, you won’t necessarily have to appear in court.
Browse Our Guide
- Calculating Compensation For Misdiagnosed Cancer Claims
- Misdiagnosed Cancer Claims – When Can You Claim?
- What Impact Could A Medical Misdiagnosis Have?
- Evidence That Could Be Used In A Misdiagnosed Cancer Claim
- Why Make A No Win No Fee Medical Negligence Claim?
- Learn More About Misdiagnosed Cancer Claims
Calculating Compensation For Misdiagnosed Cancer Claims
If your claim is successful, the medical misdiagnosis compensation payout you could be awarded may comprise of two heads of claim.
You could receive general damages for any pain and suffering that is caused due to medical negligence. This accounts for both the physical and mental harm sustained.
We have compiled a table of compensation amounts using figures taken from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG, which contains compensation brackets for different types of harm, is one of the resources that legal professionals can use to help them value the general damages portion of claims. They could also use medical records.
You should only use these figures as a guide because each medical negligence claim is unique, so your settlement for a misdiagnosed cancer claim could differ. Please also note that the top etry in this table was not taken from the JCG.
| Type of Harm | Compensation Bracket | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Illnesses and Special Damages | Up to 1,000,000+ | There may be more than one organ affected and special damages, such as associated medical costs. |
| Kidney (a) | £206,730 to £256,780 | Serious and permanent damage affecting both kidneys or where both kidneys are lost. |
| Kidney (b) | Up to £78,080 | Considerable risk of urinary tract infection or other loss of natural kidney function. |
| Kidney (c) | £37,550 to £54,760 | The loss of a single kidney with no harm to the other one. |
| Bladder (a) | Up to £224,790 | There will be additional medical complications alongside a complete loss of natural bowel function as well as a complete loss of urinary function and control. |
| Bladder (b) | Up to £171,680 | Total loss of function and control. |
| Bladder (c) | £78,080 to £97,540 | Serious impairment of control with some pain and incontinence. |
| Bowels (a) | Up to £224,790 | Total loss of natural bowel function as well as complete loss of urinary function and control. There will also be other medical complications. |
| Bowels (b) | Up to £183,190 | Total loss of natural function and reliance on a colostomy. |
| Female reproductive system (a) | £140,210 to £207,260 | Cases of infertility with other issues such as severe depression and anxiety as well as pain and scarring caused by injury or disease. |
| Lung disease (b) | £85,460 to £118,790 | Cases of lung cancer, typically affecting an older person. They experience severe pain and their function and quality of life is impaired. |
Special Damages In A Medical Negligence Claim
Moreover, you could receive special damages for any financial losses resulting from the incident of medical negligence. Examples of the losses you could claim back can include:
- The cost of home adaptations
- Care costs
- Medical expenses
- Travel costs
- Loss of earnings
You should keep a record of any losses when claiming them back.
If you would like a more detailed insight into how much compensation you could be owed, please contact an advisor.
Misdiagnosed Cancer Claims – When Can You Claim?
Not all harm caused by medical professionals will lead to a claim. For example, you may become sick due to the chemotherapy being used to treat your cancer. This is necessary to treat the disease.
The incident of misdiagnosed cancer must have been caused by the medical professional not adhering to the minimum standard of care that they must provide, leading to you sustaining avoidable harm.
This could include:
- Your doctor doesn’t refer you for further testing despite you having obvious symptoms of cancer. Consequently, you are misdiagnosed with a different condition. This leads to your condition worsening which means you need more invasive treatment.
- Your doctor incorrectly diagnoses you with cancer after misreading your test results. Therefore, you received cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, that wasn’t necessary.
For more information on when you could be eligible to claim, get in touch on the number above.
What Impact Could A Medical Misdiagnosis Have?
There are many ways in which an incident of misdiagnosed cancer could affect someone. For example, the person could experience their condition worsening, which in some cases could be fatal.
Additionally, there could be a psychological impact. For example, if the person’s condition worsens and their prognosis is affected due to this, this could lead to anxiety and stress.
Furthermore, a person could face a financial impact if they need to take time off work due to the avoidable harm they have experienced, they could lose income.
The compensation you could be awarded can account for the way in which the medical negligence has impacted your life.
To learn more, please dial the number above.
Evidence That Could Be Used In A Misdiagnosed Cancer Claim
One of the most important aspects of building a strong misdiagnosed cancer claim is gathering evidence. For example, you could:
- Keep a record of correspondence with medical professionals, including letters of diagnosis.
- Write a diary of your symptoms and treatments, as well as the impact they have on your life.
- Keep a record of any financial losses incurred, such as bank statements, invoices, and receipts.
Lastly, it might be useful to get legal advice. Our advisors can provide this completely free of charge. They may also be able to connect you with a solicitor from our panel, provided your claim is valid. You can get in touch using the number above to find out more.
Is There A Claim Time Limit For Medical Negligence?
As established by the Limitation Act 1980, you generally have 3 years to begin your claim. This could be from the date of the incident or the date you connected the harm you sustained with medical negligence.
However, there are some exceptions to this time limit. One of our advisors can provide more information on the time limits and exceptions. Call using the number above.
Why Make A No Win No Fee Medical Negligence Claim?
You may wish to seek legal representation via a No Win No Fee agreement.
Generally, the medical negligence solicitors from our panel operate under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) which comes under the No Win No Fee category.
This means that you won’t have to pay any money for the services your solicitor provides, upfront or ongoing. If your claim is lost, you will not have to pay any fees for the work they have done.
You will be required to pay a capped by law success fee to you solicitor in the event of a successful claim. This will be deducted from the compensation you are awarded.
To find out whether a solicitor from our panel can represent your misdiagnosed cancer claim on this basis, please contact a member of our team.
Contact Our Advisors To Discuss Misdiagnosed Cancer Claims
Our team of advisors are available to answer any questions you have regarding your potential claim. They may also connect you with one of the medical negligence solicitors from our panel. Alternatively, they can provide further guidance on claiming for misdiagnosed cancer.
To get in touch:
- Contact us online
- Call 0800 408 7826
- Use our live chat feature.
Learn More About Misdiagnosed Cancer Claims
Here we have included some of our own guides relating to medical negligence claims:
- Birth injury compensation calculator- What is your claim worth?
- Medical negligence compensation calculator for death claims
- Compensation calculator for NHS negligence medical negligence
Moreover, we have provided you with additional reading that might be of use:
- General Medical Council (GMC) – Good medical practice
- Royal College of Nursing – Duty of care
- GOV – NHS Constitution for England
Thank you for reading our guide on the steps you can take to claim for misdiagnosed cancer caused by medical negligence. For more information, please get in touch on the details provided above.
Writer Beck Pratt
Editor Meg Marshall
