Northern Ireland: Doctors oppose plans for duty of candour failures to carry criminal sanctions

The BMA has spoken out against proposals that could lead to criminal sanctions for doctors in Northern Ireland who fail to be open and honest with patients when things go wrong. The same would apply to doctors who witness a colleague making a mistake and do not report it. Tom Black, chair of the BMA’s Northern Ireland Council, warned that the proposal would create a hostile working environment, especially for junior doctors. In England, doctors must comply with the General Medical Council’s (GMC) duty of candour guidance.1 This states that they must be open and honest with patients …