In current times, how can the NHS best support honesty when things go wrong?

The duty of candour is a central to patient safety – the idea that, when things go wrong, healthcare professionals should be open and honest about this with patients and colleagues.

But while incident reporting is a central plank to patient safety, the evidence still suggests that adverse outcomes and near misses are under-reported. This even before the challenges of the pandemic – which has left staff understandably exhausted, overstretched and under pressure – is taken into account.

So how, in an environment as challenging as the service currently finds itself in, can candour in healthcare continue to be supported? How can leaders ensure that their colleagues have the time and space to report issues as they emerge? How can a no-blame culture continue to be fostered, from the boardroom down? What barriers remain to consistent reporting of incidents, how have they changed since the pandemic, and how can they be overcome? How might a culture of openness help combat health inequalities, not least those linked to ethnicity?

This HSJ webinar, run in association with RLDatix, will bring together a small panel to discuss these important issues.

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