The New Script for Mental Health campaign responded to the public consultation on Paul Frew MLA’s proposed Private Members Bill to introduce a statutory individual duty of candour in healthcare settings.

A Duty of Candour at its simplest level is about telling the truth when something goes wrong. The main purpose of a statutory Duty of Candour is to strengthen accountability, ensure learnings from failings, and improve systems.

New Script note with concern that this Private Member’s Bill relates strictly to an Individual Duty of Candour and makes the following recommendations:

1. Introduce a statutory individual and organisational Duty of Candour.

2. Regulate health services leaders and managers.

3. Establish independent oversight, ensuring harmed families have a significant role.

4. Ensure non-discrimination and proceed with investigations in ways that recognise and seek to reduce social inequalities.

The outcomes sought from these recommendations are as follows:

• To ensure honesty, transparency, and accountability from healthcare professionals, providers, and HSC leadership.

• To prevent reoccurrence of failings and future harm by learning from mistakes.

• For those impacted to know the truth of what happened.

• To prevent compounded harm being caused to families.

This legislative protection will be vital in shifting from a culture of fear and silencing in our mental health services to one rooted in empathy, person centred care, and the active involvement of families.

Read our full response here.