When care causes harm: breach of duty, causation and what happens when things go wrong

This article focuses on the legal frameworks in the UK that underpin how allegations of clinical negligence are legally assessed and managed. Key terminology and concepts including duty of care, breach of duty, causation and harm are explored. The author also discusses the important role of expert nursing witnesses in supporting legal teams in the assessment of clinical negligence allegations.

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Publication Details

Journal
British Journal of Community Nursing
Published
2026-05-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2026.0078
Primary Topic
Medical Malpractice and Liability Issues
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

When care causes harm: breach of duty, causation and what happens when things go wrong

Edward Baker
British Journal of Community Nursing
Medical Malpractice and Liability Issues
article

When care causes harm: breach of duty, causation and what happens when things go wrong

Edward Baker
article en

Abstract

This article focuses on the legal frameworks in the UK that underpin how allegations of clinical negligence are legally assessed and managed. Key terminology and concepts including duty of care, breach of duty, causation and harm are explored. The author also discusses the important role of expert nursing witnesses in supporting legal teams in the assessment of clinical negligence allegations.

British Journal of Community NursingVol. 31(6)
Queen Mary University of London (GB)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Medical Malpractice and Liability Issues
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