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Duty Of Candour

Our Commitment to Openness and Honesty

At Practice 2, we are committed to providing safe, high-quality care and treating patients with compassion, dignity, and respect.

While healthcare professionals work hard to deliver the best possible care, there may be occasions when things do not go as expected. When this happens, NHS organisations in Wales have a legal responsibility to be open and honest with patients and those acting on their behalf under the Duty of Candour.

Go to the Legislation.gov.uk website to read the Duty of Candour Regulations

The Duty of Candour came into effect across NHS Wales on 1 April 2023 as part of the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020. 

What is the Duty of Candour?

The Duty of Candour is a legal requirement that applies when healthcare provided by an NHS organisation may have contributed to unexpected or unintended harm. When the duty is triggered, NHS organisations must be open, honest, and transparent with the people affected. 

This means that patients can expect healthcare organisations to:

  • Explain what is known about the incident. 
  • Offer a sincere apology when appropriate. 
  • Keep patients informed throughout any review or investigation. 
  • Provide support to patients and families affected by the incident. 
  • Learn from events and make improvements to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future. 
What Does This Mean for Patients?

You do not need to make a special application or request for the Duty of Candour to apply.

Where the criteria are met, the NHS organisation involved will contact you directly and explain the next steps. The process is designed to ensure openness, support, learning, and continuous improvement. 

The Duty of Candour is intended to strengthen trust between healthcare providers and patients by promoting transparency when unexpected harm occurs.  The Duty of Candour - Public Health Wales

The Duty of Candour works alongside the Listening to People: NHS Wales complaints, incidents and redress process | GOV.WALES  Listening to People. 

For more information about the Duty of Candour and your rights as an NHS Wales patient, please visit The NHS Duty of Candour | GOV.WALES

Our Promise

We are committed to delivering safe, patient-centred healthcare and fostering a culture of honesty, learning, and continuous improvement. If something goes wrong, we will strive to communicate openly, listen carefully, and work with patients to ensure lessons are learned and care continues to improve.