Duty of Candour/Being Open Policy

The Practice acts in an open and transparent way with clear, honest and effective communication with patients, their families and carers throughout their care and treatment, including when things go wrong.

The Practice recognises the importance of the following attributes and strives to implement them at all times.

  • Openness – Enabling concerns and complaints to be raised freely without fear, and questions asked to be answered.
  • Transparency – Allowing information about the truth, about performance and outcomes to be shared with staff, people who use the service, the public and regulators.
  • Candour – Any person who uses the service and who is harmed by the provision of a service provider is informed of the fact and an appropriate remedy offered, regardless of whether a complaint has been made, or a question asked about it.
  • Apology – An ‘apology’ is an expression of sorrow or regret in respect of a notifiable safety incident. It is not an admission of guilt.
  • Appropriate Written Records – Records are complete, legible, accurate and up to date. Every effort must be made to ensure records are updated without any delays.
  • Cancelling Treatment – where planned treatment is not carried out as a direct result of the notifiable safety incident.