topic Re: New Guidelines for NHS staff in The Round Table

New Guidelines for NHS staff

fallen-archie — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 12:17:36 GMT

Medical professionals must apologise and explain their mistakes as soon as they are aware that something has gone wrong, according to the new guidance created by the General Medical Council and Midwifery Council.

Both councils believe that sincere, personal apologies will reduce anxiety and distress in patients.

Staff are advised to report errors at an early stage and use their professional judgement about whether they should inform patients of “near misses” where harm could have been caused but was avoided.

The guidance seeks to reassure staff, affirming that apologising “doesn’t mean that we expect you to take personal responsibility for system failures or other people’s mistakes.”

The new guidelines will also urge managers to protect colleagues or former colleagues from unfair treatment if they raise concerns about patient safety.

Many will welcome this including those for who believe compensation should be paid for all human errors.

Should this be applied to those patients who moan and groan constantly, those who verbally abuse NHS staff and those who physically attack medics who are trying to help them. Why should much needed cash be spent on security in Hospitals which after all are there to help everyone?

Re: New Guidelines for NHS staff

cee-dee — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 12:43:49 GMT

How about fining those with the most common disease of all, that which has no cure:- Hypochondria.

Re: New Guidelines for NHS staff

ravendays — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 12:59:39 GMT

The simple answer is there are too many people flooding the NHS and it cannot cope under the increase. Until our wonderful powers-that-be tackle the reality of an overburdened population things can only get worse. But as always they will blame the existing staff for being unable to cope with a increasing workload all caused by the government's ineptitude...

Re: New Guidelines for NHS staff

malacandran — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 20:25:12 GMT

@cee-dee wrote:
How about fining those with the most common disease of all, that which has no cure:- Hypochondria.

That's a good idea, but would mere fines be sufficient?

Some years ago, a Dr Harold "Fred" Shipman got fed up with hypochondriac elderly patients constantly infesting his surgery

He devised a "final solution", which was radical, but perhaps benefitted more people, in the long run?

Re: New Guidelines for NHS staff

fallen-archie — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 21:57:05 GMT

Shipman took his own life but was never repentant, how does a seemingly well educated bloke with a good life do what he did?

Re: New Guidelines for NHS staff

malacandran — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 22:06:26 GMT

Perhaps he thought, that when he injected chloroform into them, he was giving them a peaceful end to their lives. So sparing them the suffering of advanced old age, with all its pains.

Re: New Guidelines for NHS staff

fallen-archie — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 22:31:03 GMT

Indeed he may well have thought that, problem is it was not. His decision to make.

Re: New Guidelines for NHS staff

malacandran — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 22:55:44 GMT

But when you go to a doctor, don't you accept the doctor's decisions. I mean if the doctor says "Take these pills, which I'm prescribing for you" - do you start an argument?