Medical Defence Union Agrees Apologies Can Resolve Complaints, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 08 Apr 2008 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The Medical Defence Union (MDU) agrees with the Healthcare Commission's recommendation in its latest report1 that apologies can resolve complaints. This reinforces advice the MDU has been giving its members for well over 50 years.

The Commission's Spotlight on Complaints report recommends that trusts should apologise more often when mistakes are made.

Dr Hugh Stewart, MDU medico-legal advisor, said:

"We support this recommendation by the Healthcare Commission that reinforces advice the MDU has given members for more than half a century. In our experience, patients or relatives who lodge a complaint often want one of three things - an explanation, an apology, if appropriate, and where possible an assurance that the same thing won't happen again.

"It is extremely important that doctors realise that saying 'I'm sorry this has happened to you' is not the same as admitting liability. In many cases, a prompt and genuine apology is all a patient wishes to hear, and may prevent a complaint from escalating."

The MDU also reminds doctors that the General Medical Council requires doctors to be open and honest with patients if things go wrong. Patients who complain about their care or treatment have a right to expect doctors to offer a prompt, open, constructive and honest response including an explanation and, if appropriate, an apology2.

References

1. Spotlight on Complaints: A report on second-stage complaints about the NHS in England, Healthcare Commission, April 2008

2. Paragraph 31 of Good Medical Practice, General Medical Council, November 2006

Medical Defence Union