Duty of Candour
Our commitment to openness when something goes wrong.
Our commitment
We will be open and honest with patients and their representatives when something has gone wrong. We will explain what is known, provide an appropriate apology and describe the action being taken.
- What Duty of Candour means
- When we will contact you
- Providing an explanation
- Offering an apology
- Investigation and support
- Sharing the outcome
- Learning and improvement
- Regulatory notifications
What this means in practice
Where a patient safety incident has occurred that resulted in, or could have resulted in, harm, we will contact the patient or their representative as soon as reasonably practicable. We will explain what we know at that point, be clear about what we do not yet know, and say what we are doing to find out.
An apology is not an admission of legal liability. It is the right thing to do, and it is a professional obligation.
We will keep you informed while the investigation is under way, share the outcome in writing, and tell you what has changed as a result. Where we are required to notify a regulator, we will do so.