NMC and GMC Working Together
We are pleased to share with you guidance for doctors, nurses and midwives on the professional duty of candour, which the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and the General Medical Council (GMC) have produced jointly.
Good medical practice and the Code for nurses and midwives make it clear that doctors, nurses and midwives have a professional duty, the duty of candour, to be open and honest with patients when things go wrong. They should always report when mistakes are made that have compromised – or could have compromised – patient safety.
This guidance will reinforce this shared professional duty. It will also give a framework and confidence to individuals working with patients to respond openly and honestly when things go wrong.
The guidance will be helpful for all individuals, groups and organisations across the UK working to establish a much more transparent and open culture. For example, it will help:
- employers of doctors, nurses and midwives in understanding what the professional obligations are in being open and honest;
- unions and professional bodies in helping to support doctors, nurses and midwives who want more information about how to raise a concern;
- charities and advocacy services supporting patients, in empowering patients to know what transparency they are entitled to;
- doctors, nurses and midwives in knowing what their professional duty is and having the confidence to act on it;
- educators of doctors, nurses and midwives in informing their training and development programmes, and;
- other organisations in understanding the requirements and implications of the duty of candour.
The guidance is available to read and download via the GMC website and the NMC website.
