Fifteen-minute consultation: Supporting colleagues through a serious incident or complaint

Being involved in a complaint or serious incident can be a huge stress for a doctor, whether a trainee or consultant. When affected, it is important to be able to look for the support of a colleague or a more senior person, and just as importantly, those not directly involved need to know what to do to provide support. In this piece I consider what ‘support’ really means, I provide some tips on what to do and what not to do, and I consider how incidents and complaints can need different approaches.