What is the 'duty of candour' and what are its three main purposes?

The duty of candour is a legal requirement for hospitals, community, and mental health trusts to inform and apologize to patients if there have been mistakes in their care or if they have suffered harm. Its three purposes are to ensure people receive timely, accurate, and truthful information from health providers, to provide all necessary information about an incident when an error occurs, and to furnish an apology when things go wrong.

The duty of candour applies to any registered persons conducting a regulated activity. It is part of professional accountability to patients and the public, requiring healthcare providers to be open and honest when care or treatment goes wrong. The three stated purposes are: first, to ensure patients can receive timely, accurate, and truthful information from health providers; second, to provide all necessary information about an incident if an error occurs during care or treatment; and third, to furnish an apology when things go wrong.