Duty of Candour
Every healthcare professional must be open and honest with patients and people in their care when something goes wrong with their treatment or care causes, or has the potential to cause, harm or distress.
This means that health and care professionals must:
- Tell the person (or, where appropriate, their advocate, carer or family) when something has gone wrong
- Apologise to the person (or, where appropriate, their advocate, carer or family)
- Offer an appropriate remedy or support to put matters right (if possible)
- Explain fully to the person (or, where appropriate, their advocate, carer or family) the short and long term effects of what has happened.
