No. A poor outcome does not automatically mean that medical negligence has occurred.

Medical treatment can involve recognised risks, and sometimes complications happen even when care is provided to an acceptable standard. To bring a successful claim, it is usually necessary to show that the care fell below the standard expected of a reasonably competent medical professional and that this caused avoidable harm.

This is why medical negligence claims often require independent expert evidence. An expert can review the records and give an opinion on whether the treatment was negligent and whether the outcome would probably have been different if proper care had been provided.