Standard of care (the Bolam test)
The standard of care in negligence is that of the reasonable person doing the activity in question; for professionals it is the Bolam standard — a professional is not negligent if they acted in accordance with a practice accepted as proper by a responsible body of opinion in their field.
Last reviewed 14 June 2026
The objective “reasonable person” test applies generally. For skilled defendants the Bolam test (Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee [1957] 1 WLR 582) asks whether a responsible body of professional opinion would have supported the conduct.
Bolam is qualified by Bolitho v City and Hackney HA [1998] AC 232 (the body of opinion must be logically defensible) and, for consent to medical treatment, has been replaced by the patient-focused test in Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11.
Key cases
- Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee [1957] 1 WLR 582
- Bolitho v City and Hackney Health Authority [1998] AC 232
- Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board [2015] UKSC 11
Frequently asked questions
What is the Bolam test?
A professional is not negligent if they acted in accordance with a practice accepted as proper by a responsible body of opinion in their field (Bolam v Friern).
Has the Bolam test been changed?
Yes — it is qualified by Bolitho (the opinion must be logically defensible) and, for medical consent, replaced by the patient-centred test in Montgomery (2015).
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