Search the hub
Showing results for tags 'Duty of Candour'.
Found 124 results
-
News Article
Hospital may have broken law by failing to reveal errors led to boy’s death
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Great Ormond Street Hospital may have broken the law by failing to share information with parents that showed its errors had contributed to their son’s death, The Independent understands. The care watchdog is speaking to Great Ormond Street about its handling of an expert report into five-year-old Walif Yafi in 2017. It showed that the hospital’s failure to share results that showed a deadly infection had played a role in Walif’s death. But the boy’s parents were only told about the findings after inquiries by The Independent – months after settling a lawsuit with Great Ormond Street in which the trust denied responsibility. The Care Quality Commission is looking at concerns relating to duty of candour regulations, which require hospitals to be open and honest with families about mistakes made that result in serious harm to patients. Breaching the regulations is a criminal offence and can lead to prosecution. Read full story Source: The Independent, 7 December 2020 -
News ArticleA major acute trust has confirmed the health service inspectorate has begun a criminal investigation into three incidents at its hospitals. University Hospitals Birmingham FT told HSJ the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has started a criminal investigation into incidents involving potential errors around the provision of anti-coagulant medication. The trust received a letter from the CQC this month informing it that the regulator has begun the investigation under regulation 22 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (regulated activities) regulations 2014. The incidents happened at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and Good Hope Hospital — the trust’s two main sites. Regulation 22 says: “In order to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of service users, the registered person must take appropriate steps to ensure that, at all times, there are sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced persons employed for the purposes of carrying on the regulated activity.” The CQC launched a prosecution into East Kent Hospitals University FT this month for failing to meet fundamental standards of care. The regulator also successfully prosecuted University Hospitals Plymouth Trust in September after it pleaded guilty to breaching the duty of candour. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 23 October 2020
-
Content Article"Healthcare systems need to act in equal measures to both enable the recovery of patients and families it has harmed, and to protect future patients.... Yet providing what is set out in the Duty of Candour to harmed patients has not been framed as providing care to make sick or injured people better and/or to minimise their pain and suffering." In this blog, Jo Hughes explains why we need to reframe the Duty of Candour and explores what needs to change.
-
News ArticleA hospital trust has been fined for failing to be open and transparent with the bereaved family of a 91-year-old woman in the first prosecution of its kind. Elsie Woodfield died at Derriford hospital in Plymouth after suffering a perforated oesophagus during an endoscopy. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took University Hospitals Plymouth NHS trust to court under duty of candour regulations, accusing it of not being open with Woodfield’s family about her death and not apologising in a timely way. Judge Joanna Matson was told Woodfield’s daughter Anna Davidson eventually received a letter apologising over her mother’s death, which happened in December 2017, but she felt it lacked remorse. Davidson said she still had many unanswered questions and found it “impossible to grieve”. The judge said: “This offence is a very good example of why these regulatory offences are very important. Not only have [the family] had to come to terms with their tragic death, but their loss has been compounded by the trust’s lack of candour.” Speaking afterwards, Nigel Acheson, the CQC’s deputy chief inspector of hospitals, said: “All care providers have a duty to be open and transparent with patients and their loved ones, particularly when something goes wrong, and this case sends a clear message that we will not hesitate to take action when that does not happen." Lenny Byrne, the trust’s chief nurse, issued a “wholehearted apology” to Woodfield’s family. “We pleaded guilty to failure to comply with the duty of candour and fully accept the court’s decision. We have made significant changes in our processes.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 23 September 2020
-
News ArticleAn NHS trust is to appear in court today charged with breaking the law on being open and transparent after a woman’s death in the first ever court case of its kind. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has brought a criminal prosecution against University Hospitals Plymouth Trust which will appear at Plymouth Magistrates Court tomorrow morning. The trust is charged with breaching the duty of candour regulations under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 which require hospitals to be honest with families and patients after a safety incident or error in their care. Hospitals are legally required to notify patients or families and investigate what has happened and communicate the findings to families and offer an apology. The case relates to how the Plymouth trust communicated with a woman’s family after her death which happened after she underwent an endoscopy procedure at Derriford Hospital in December 2017. The trust was required by law to communicate in an open and transparent way. The CQC has accused the trust of failing to do this. Read full story Source: The Independent, 22 September 2020
-
Content ArticleSarah Seddon's son (Thomas) was stillborn in May 2017. The lack of candour following Thomas’ death and the conduct of the serious incident investigation impacted significantly on Sarah and her family. The local investigation was followed by a Fitness to Practise (FtP) investigation where Sarah experienced how damaging, dehumanising and traumatic FtP processes can be for patients who are required to be witnesses. Here she reflects on the impact of being a witness in a Fitness to Practise (FtP) hearing had on her.
-
Content ArticleIn her guest blog for the Professionals Standard Body (PSB), Sarah Seddon talks about the Duty of Candour and how it's affected her personal life.
-
Content ArticleIn the aftermath of an adverse event, an apology can bring comfort to the patient, forgiveness to the health practitioner, and help restore trust to their relationship. According to the Health and Disability Commissioner: "The way a practitioner handles the situation at the outset can influence a patient's decision about what further action to take, and an appropriate apology may prevent the problem escalating into a complaint to HDC". Yet, for many health practitioners saying "I'm sorry" remains a difficult and uncomfortable thing to do. We can help to bring down this wall of silence by developing a clear understanding of the importance of apologies to patients and health practitioners; appreciating the difference between expressing empathy and accepting legal responsibility for an adverse outcome; knowing the key elements of a full apology and when they should be used; and supporting those who have the honesty and courage to say "I'm sorry" to patients who have been harmed while receiving healthcare.
-
Content ArticleFifteen years after a “moral moment” transformed patient safety here, new systems and a change in culture at John Hopkins Medicine have gone a long way toward eradicating errors.
-
Content ArticleThe Patients Association was formed over fifty years ago. Since then, it has listened to patients concerns and spoken out on their behalf. Not long after the Patients Association took up its role, legislation was enacted by the government to establish the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). Both organisations have similar values and agendas, intended to help and support the public, the difference being, one is an independent charity, the other a government body afforded all the power and legislation to act with credibility. However, sadly the Patients Association has no confidence that the PHSO will carry out an independent, fair, open, honest and robust investigation. The Ombudsman is frequently quoted as saying patients who suffer harm or poor care in hospitals are failed by a “toxic cocktail” within the health service, whereby complaints go unheard and lessons unlearned. The Ombudsman states: ”We are the last resort for complaints about the NHS. We listen to individual complaints and where things have gone wrong, help to get them put right.” The Patients Association, in partnership with the families of those who have contributed to this report, challenge that statement. Nearly 50 years after the PHSO was established, it is time for real and robust change, not just promises and more recommendations. The Patients Association have a clear request to the Government and Public Administration Select Committee-read our patients stories, listen to their concerns, consider our conclusions, recommendations and finally, hold the PHSO to account for its action.
-
Content ArticleHow many of you know the full history of duty of candour in healthcare in the UK? It was Will Powell who, after the tragic death of his son Robbie, brought to light that there was none. Even today we only have an institutional duty of candour in place, leaving clinicians with the right to lie as no specific law exists to prevent this.
-
EventThis masterclass will provide participants with an in-depth knowledge of what needs to be done to comply with the duty of candour; clarify ‘grey areas’ and provide guidance on dealing with difficult situations which may arise. It will provide participants with an understanding of good practice in implementing the duty and, in particular doing so in a meaningful way with empathy, to not only comply, but to work with patients and loved ones in a way that puts the emotional experience at the heart of communication. Anyone with responsibility for implementing the duty of candour should attend, whether as a health or social care professional or at an organisational level, be it in the NHS, private healthcare or social care. Health and social care professionals; staff with responsibility for quality, safety, clinical governance, safety investigations, complaints or CQC compliance, patient experience and executive teams would benefit from attending. Further information and registration
-
EventThis masterclass will provide participants with an in-depth knowledge of what needs to be done to comply with the duty of candour; clarify ‘grey areas’ and provide guidance on dealing with difficult situations which may arise. It will provide participants with an understanding of good practice in implementing the duty and, in particular doing so in a meaningful way with empathy, to not only comply, but to work with patients and loved ones in a way that puts the emotional experience at the heart of communication. Anyone with responsibility for implementing the duty of candour should attend, whether as a health or social care professional or at an organisational level, be it in the NHS, private healthcare or social care. Health and social care professionals; staff with responsibility for quality, safety, clinical governance, safety investigations, complaints or CQC compliance, patient experience and executive teams would benefit from attending. Further information and registration
-
Content ArticleThis book explores patient safety themes in developed, developing and transitioning countries. A foundation premise is the concept of ‘reverse innovation’ as mutual learning from the chapters challenges traditional assumptions about the construction and location of knowledge. hub members can receive a 20% discount. Please email: feedback@pslhub.org to request the discount code.
-
Content ArticlePatients have a legal right to know when something goes wrong with their care. But previous research has shown that they do not always get a satisfactory explanation. This article looks at research conducted by University of Leeds and Bradford Institute for Health Research, discusses the difference to what patients want and expect when things goes wrong and the barriers to why healthcare staff do not satisfy their expectations.
-
Content ArticleAviation underwent a major culture change after the shock of the 1977 Tenerife disaster, which has gradually matured into the successful safety management systems we have today. Has the Hyponatraemia Report in Northern Ireland or the Bawa-Garba case in the UK the potential to be healthcare's turning point and transform our approach to error? What can we learn from aviation to shortcut the learning process? The author of this article is both a doctor and pilot with extensive experience in both industries. Published in Northern Ireland Healthcare Review in 2018.
-
Content ArticleIn this guest blog for the Professional Standards Authority, Peter Walsh, Chief Executive of Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), sums up what progress has been made since the introduction of the organisational and professional duties of candour, but also questions what difference they have made. Peter remains hopeful, that the duty of candour will become much more than just a box-ticking exercise and believes, if we can get it right, it will be the biggest and most overdue advance in patients’ rights and patient safety that we have ever seen in health and social care.
-
Community Post
Coexistence of Accreditation and Regulation in Healthcare
Dr Akhil Sangal posted a topic in Innovation programmes in health and care
- (and 10 more)
-
Content ArticleCOVID-19 brings an enormous set of challenges to hospitals around the world. One challenge in particular, the current mental state of healthcare workers, is now taking centre stage as clinicians face delivering difficult news to patients and their families about what is happening, what to expect, and how to prepare. ECRI and RLDatix came together to deliver a special webcast led by Dr Tim McDonald, an expert on Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR). A recording of the webinar can be viewed below.
-
Content Article
What to do when complications occur (3 January 2018)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Processes
In this article, Cruikshanks and Bryden outline the process that should take place after an adverse event has occurred.- Posted
- 1 comment
-
- (and 3 more)
-
Content Article
Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR) Toolkit
lzipperer posted an article in International patient safety
The Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR) process is an evidence-based approach developed through support and testing by the US Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research. The CANDOR program aids healthcare institutions and practitioners to effectively respond when accidental, unexpected harm befalls patients in their care. The CANDOR toolkit contains information to help organisations implement the program. It covers topics such as event reporting and analysis, disclosure response and organisational learning. Further reading - The 'seven pillars' response to patient safety incidents: effects on medical liability processes and outcomes (December 2016) -
Content ArticleA report by Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) on Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection reports and regulation of the duty of candour.
-
Content ArticleAll healthcare professionals have a duty of candour – a professional responsibility to be honest with patients when things go wrong. This is described in 'The professional duty of candour', which introduces this guidance and forms part of a joint statement from eight regulators of healthcare professionals in the UK. This guidance from the Nursing and Midwifery Council complements the joint statement from the healthcare regulators and gives more information about how to follow the duty of candour principles.
-
Content ArticleIn his blog for Aish.com, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg talks about the power of a sincere apology and how this can be translated into medical care settings.
- Posted
- 1 comment
-
1
-
- (and 1 more)
-
Content Article
The Australian Open Disclosure Framework
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Processes
The Australian Open Disclosure Framework provides a nationally consistent basis for open disclosure in Australian healthcare. The framework is designed to enable health service organisations and clinicians to communicate openly with patients when healthcare does not go to plan.
