Campaigner Will Powell led a campaign for NHS managers and doctors to have a formal 'duty of candour' when dealing with complaints about
negligence or poor standards of care in NHS hospitals. Statutory proposals affecting the NHS were announced by
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in October 2011, initially undertaking a consultation exercise which ran until January 2012. In January 2014
David Behan, chief executive of the
Care Quality Commission (CQC), threw his weight behind a wide definition for the statutory duty of candour which was recommended by the
Francis Report. The Government originally intended the duty to be limited to cases of “severe harm” – when a patient had been killed or left permanently disabled, as a wider reporting requirement could inundate organisations with unnecessary bureaucracy. The CQC estimates there are about 11,000 incidents of severe harm per year, and up to 100,000 incidents of serious harm, although there may be significant
under-reporting of both. The charity
Action Against Medical Accidents has been campaigning for a wide definition and Behan made it clear that he was supporting them. The CQC undertook a consultation exercise in 2018 and issued updated guidance in 2021, noting the importance of a "heartfelt apology" as a part of the process of correcting harm. ==See also==