Duty of Candour – Key to successful implementation

The paper sets out the key lessons for successful implementation of a statutory duty of candour, including:

• Clarity around definitions;
• Ensuring a person-centred process;
• Minimising bureaucracy;
• Distinguishing between regret and an apology;
• Robust monitoring and compliance; and
• A system to deal with breaches of the duty.

The paper includes a leaflet by the Care Quality Commission, England’s health and social care regulator, on what the English statutory duty means for patients and their families