The professional duty of candour

Standard 19: Be candid when things have gone wrong (Standards of practice for optometrists and dispensing opticians)

19.1. Be open and honest with your patients when you have identified that things have gone wrong with their treatment or care which has resulted in them suffering harm or distress or where there may be implications for future patient care. You must:

19.1.1. Tell the patient or, where appropriate, the patient’s advocate, carer or family that something has gone wrong.

19.1.2. Offer an apology.

19.1.3. Offer appropriate remedy or support to put matters right (if possible).

19.1.4. Explain fully and promptly what has happened and the likely short-term and long-term effects.

19.1.5 Outline what you will do, where possible, to prevent reoccurrence and improve future patient care.

19.2. Be open and honest with your colleagues, employers and relevant organisations, and take part in reviews and investigations when requested and with the General Optical Council, raising concerns where appropriate. Support and encourage your colleagues to be open and honest, and do not stop someone from raising concerns.

19.3. Ensure that when things go wrong, you take account of your obligations to reflect and improve your practice as outlined in Standard 5.

Standard 18: Be candid when things have gone wrong (Standards for optical students)

18.1 Be open and honest with your patients when you have identified that things have gone wrong with their treatment or care which has resulted in them suffering harm or distress or where there may be implications for future patient care, seeking advice from your tutor or supervisor on how to proceed. They will advise on whether further action is required such as:

18.1.1 Telling the patient (or, where appropriate, the patient’s advocate, carer or family) that something has gone wrong.

18.1.2 Offering an apology.

18.1.3 Offering appropriate remedy or support to put matters right (if possible).

18.1.4 Explaining fully and promptly what has happened and the likely short-term and long-term effects.

18.1.5 Outlining what you will do, where possible, to prevent reoccurrence and improve future patient care.

18.2 Be open and honest with your supervisor or training provider and take part in reviews and investigations when requested and with the General Optical Council, raising concerns where appropriate. Support and encourage your peers to be open and honest and not stop someone from raising concerns.

18.3 Ensure that when things go wrong, you reflect on what happened and use the experience to improve.