NHS staff told to say 'I am sorry' to patients for medical blunders

[Clutter]

I don't think any apologies will be made for being told "it's not your thyroid" when TSH is top of the range or when it finally sinks in that elevated antibodies do impact on wellbeing.

theguardian.com/society/201...

[Heloise]

They can skip the apologies and just offer an FT3 test along with TSH and if low, conduct the other necessary tests for deficiencies. (and maybe change their attitude toward obesity.)

[Clutter in reply to Heloise]

Heloise, Shame to miss out on those who drew up the guidelines eating humble pie but if vits/mins and saliva cortisol were included whatever the FT3 result I could live with it

[Heloise in reply to Clutter]

Yes, Amen to that!

[Hypopotamus]

I really can't see them ever saying sorry, as foing so opens them to litigation. Sounds like another bit of spin to me.

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Hypopotamus]

I think in the past one of the things patients used to complain (and try to sue) about was that no one ever said sorry - usually after someone had died due to a botch up, so now whenever I hear a hospital spokesman apologising to a family about the treatment of a family member and how 'lessons will be learned' my first thoughts are that it is totally insincere and purely for damage limitation reasons, not because they actually mean the apology.

[mischa in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Couldn't agree more. It seems to be standard practice today with many organisations who've been exposed with very poor standards of service/care that seriously affect people's lives. When they are forced to explain and particularly on t.v. its the same mantra - they could all be reading from the same book.

[TigerTea]

In a very 'Eyeore' view on NHS/Medics i've crossed paths with, there isn't enough time left in eternity for All the apologies! 😷

[greygoose]

Well, before they can apologise, they'd have to admit they made a mistake. And I find that very doubtful, most of them Don't think they're capable of making mistakes!!!

[BeansMummy]

My view of doctors is just so jaded these days, and I actually no longer trust them. I cannot believe that those who have made a mistake will offer decent, heartfelt apologies for it. Some of those I have met are so sanctimonious that I think they believe they are above us mere mortals.

[nightingale-56]

Pretty sure that apologies will not be forthcoming for giving us medication that does not work for us! Nor reimbursement for all we have paid out to try to get ourselves well after they have ruined our health.

[Chancery]

The day a doctor apologises will be the day Hell freezes over. I can't see how, given their training and the way they are encouraged to treat patients, and the whole patriarchal ideology that underpins the NHS, apologies would make any sense to them, never mind be seen as useful. I think they need to change a lot of other things first before apologies are likely to be either forthcoming or meaningful.

[Clutter in reply to Chancery]

Chancery, I don't think think this is aimed at GPs but at surgeon's operating on the wrong limb or organ and doctors/nurses giving the wrong drug treatments and doses. An apology acknowledges the personal or system error which caused the hurt or death and means steps can be taken to prevent the same error happening to someone else.

A generation of dinosaurs will probably have to retire before it is adopted throughout the NHS but doctors and nurses should be trained to acknowledge and apologise for their errors.

[Chancery in reply to Clutter]

Sorry, my fault, I went straight in for discussing the probability of doctors apologising without reading the article, so I didn't know it was aimed at surgeons. That's what I get for scrolling through my daily notifications too quick! I shall read it now at my leisure.

Couldn't agree more about them needing retraining though; that's what I was getting at. As things stand, it's not going to happen with the chief enchiladas or the common GPs. I've met a lot of surgeons and consultants and I can only think of about two of them who might have apologised (no, three), and I'm not even sure about them!

[Chancery in reply to Clutter]

"Between 10% and 20% of patients are believed to suffer some harm as a direct result of receiving healthcare, especially in hospital."

Holy Hell. D'you realise that's as many as one out of every 5 people? That means every time you're in one of those little mini wards of four there's going to be at least one of you (given the quick turnover rate in them) who is going to be damaged by the procedures due to error. That makes me never want to go into a hospital again - not that I was keen anyway!

Sadly though, reading this, it does come across as 'This is costing us too much money. You lot need to say it's your fault so the trust doesn't get taken to court'. In other words, buck shifting. Cynical as it may sound, I suspect this is nothing to do with improving medical care, but a lot more about saving the NHS money. Still, it might have a good trickle-down effect, although whether something that's so rooted in a negative approach could ever turn out a positive, I'm not sure.

Nope, I just don't believe in it, from start to finish. Sigh.......