The
HCPC writes a blog. All the best people do, you know… Today I read something
on their blog which made me think.
Standard
Eight of the standards under which we all practice says that registrants need
to be open and honest when something has gone wrong with the care, treatment or
other services that we provide. This includes letting service users and carers
know; apologising; and taking action to put matters right if we can.
The
standard also says that registrants need to support service users and carers to
raise concerns and be helpful and honest in their responses to complaints.
This
is a very noble sentiment and *in theory*
is all very well.
Mistakes
in healthcare are by their very nature terrible. However one needs to bear in
mind that mistakes are that – mistakes. Nobody goes into healthcare with the
intention of deliberately harming patients.
And
one also needs to bear in mind the harm done by ambulance-chasing lawyers
looking to sue at the slightest provocation.
If
mistakes become learning experiences then practitioners are going to be more inclined
to report them.
If
they become thinly-veiled witch-hunts then they are not…
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