View from the AOP: Duty of candour concerns

One of the main take home messages from the Francis Inquiry into the scandal at Mid Staffordshire hospital was that many of the appalling instances of poor patient care were a direct consequence of a behavioural culture. Healthcare professionals were not encouraged to be transparent with patients about clinical mistakes.

In July 2014, eight healthcare professional regulators including the GOC released a joint statement confirming they would each be working on a professional duty of candour for their respective registrants.

The GOC consulted widely on its draft guidance released in June 2016. The AOP had some concerns about the draft, namely that the guidance appeared too onerous on registrants and lacked a sense of proportionality.