As part of a public consultation asking for views on the draft Being Open Framework, the APIL argues that there is a need for medics to be honest when treatment goes wrong. 

A new law requiring healthcare staff to always be open and honest with patients and families when there are safety failures during treatment is overdue in Northern Ireland. 

“Introducing a duty of candour law would mean clinicians, managers and senior leaders have a clear statutory obligation to be transparent when negligent treatment has happened,” said Oonagh McClure, the Northern Ireland representative of not-for-profit campaign group the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL).

“A duty of candour law in operation would mean all staff are legally required to be forthright when patients have been the victims of sub-standard care. All too often patients suffer further anguish when they are left in the dark as to what went wrong when they suffer harm,” she continued.

The Department of Health for Northern Ireland is currently consulting on proposals to introduce its Being Open Framework, which aims to establish a culture of honesty and openness in healthcare.

Public consultation

The Department of Health has launched a public consultation asking for views on the draft Being Open Framework and the establishment of a duty of candour in Northern Ireland.

The consultation is seeking views on the draft Framework which aims to ensure that all people in contact with any of the country’s six Health and Social Care Trusts can expected to be treated in an open, fair and compassionate way. 

It also wants to ensure that patients and those close to them will be listened to, understood and treated with respect. At the same time, it wants to make sure that Trust staff have visible, engaged and inclusive leadership and that senior leaders listen to concerns and create safe spaces for learning.

“We support introducing the framework but it must be accompanied by a candour law because without statutory enforcement the framework lacks teeth. The proposals being discussed at present are an opportunity to make a real positive difference to patient safety and improve the experiences of injured patients who deserve answers,” said McClure.