Doctors Instructed to Apologise for Errors

Under new draft guidelines, doctors, nurses and midwives have been told to be honest with patients and apologise when mistakes are made.

The joint proposals from the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council place a duty on doctors and nurses to provide “a clear and honest explanation” if something goes wrong. But the British Medical Association said staff must not be forced to take the blame for failings before it was established where the fault lay.

The proposals follow changes in the law which mean hospitals are legally required to disclose information about incidents which caused patients moderate or significant harm.

The Daily Telegraph 03/11/14