Duty of Candour guidance
Why have I been given this leaflet?
You have been given this leaflet because you or a person that you are caring for has been involved in an unintended or unexpected event (incident), which may have caused harm whilst in our care.
What does ‘Duty of Candour’ mean?
CWP have always been committed to being open and honest with the people who use our services when things go wrong.
Duty of Candour is a statutory requirement for organisations registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It is legal requirement for organisations to be open and honest when an incident resulted in, or may have resulted in severe, moderate harm or the death of a patient.
What should I expect?
CWP members of staff will speak to you honestly and openly as soon as possible after the event to discuss what happened. We will:
- apologise, offer support and ask you whether you would like to be involved in a review of the incident
- provide all known facts
- answer any questions you may have
- undertake a safety review
- share the results of the review and give an explanation of what happened
- give reassurance that lessons have been learnt and adequate measures are in place to avoid similar things happening again
- follow up in writing with the information provided verbally, from the first contact to the sharing of the final review report
What happens if we do not comply?
Our Trust can be fined and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has the power to prosecute CWP.
Who will speak to me?
Depending on the nature of the incident, one or more CWP staff members will be in contact with you to answer any questions you may have. During the first discussion, you will be asked how you would like to be kept updated (face to face meetings, phone calls, emails or letters). You will be provided with the contact details of your Family Liaison Lead.
How should I prepare for a duty of candour conversation?
Your Family Liaison Lead will help you to:
- make a list of questions and fears/concerns you have about what has happened
- decide whether you would like to have someone with you at the meetings with the CWP staff members as a support person
- think about what type of support you wish to receive.
Our PACS team can also help. Please call them on 0800 195 4462 or email: cwp.
Alternatively, Healthwatch is an independent service for people who use health and social care services. Please call them on 0300 323 0006. Further information can be found on the Healthwatch website.
Can I complain?
Duty of Candour does not affect your right to submit a formal complaint if you are not happy with any aspect of your care.
More information
Contact us if you would like more information on Duty of Candour. Please contact your Family Liaison Lead or our Clinical Governance Team on 01244 393 145 or email cwp.