Compensation claims expected to follow GMC's findings. (General Medical Council, United Kingdom)

Compensation claims totalling at least 10m [pounds sterling] ($16m) are expected to follow the General Medical Council's finding last week that two surgeons from Bristol Royal Infirmary, James Wisheart and Janardan Dhasmana, disregarded warnings that their death rates were unacceptably high and continued to operate on babies and toddlers with heart defects.

Writs on behalf of children who died or were bruin damaged and their parents are expected to follow the ruling in what was dubbed "the medical scandal of the century" by Stephen Bolsin, the anaesthetist, who exposed it. At least 20 writs have already been issued in cases where children have died.

Laurence Vick, of the Exeter law firm Tozers, said: "By sitting on the problem for so long and for failure to call a halt to these operations before …