Honesty & Candour (Duty of Candour)

SJT Textbook: Honesty & Candour (Duty of Candour)

Honesty and Duty of Candour MSRA SJT

This honesty and duty of candour MSRA SJT guide explains how disclosure of errors, sincere apology, escalation, and documentation are tested in high-scoring SJT scenarios.

🎥 Video Lesson (YouTube)

🎧 Podcast Lesson (Spotify / Apple / Amazon)

🎯 THE CORE PRINCIPLE

Honesty and candour require disclosing errors or risks promptly, explaining what is known, apologising sincerely, involving senior support, and documenting the event. The SJT rewards transparency that protects patients, even when it feels uncomfortable or exposes team error. Delaying disclosure, avoiding responsibility, or concealing information always scores poorly.

⚡ HIGH-YIELD ACTIONS (What Scores Points)

1. Disclose the issue clearly and promptly.
2. Offer a sincere apology acknowledging the event and its impact.
3. Escalate concerns to an appropriate senior for support and oversight.
4. Assess and address immediate clinical safety risks.
5. Explain what happened, what is known/unknown, and next steps.
6. Provide a clear action plan for follow-up and prevention.
7. Document the discussion and complete incident reporting.
8. Maintain transparency with updates as new information emerges.

Honesty and duty of candour MSRA SJT scenarios always reward early disclosure and apology.

Avoid any option that hides information, delays openness, or avoids escalation.

💬 MODEL PHRASES (Use These in SJT Logic)

* “I’m really sorry this happened — I want to explain what we know so far and how we’ll keep you safe.”
* “I’ll escalate this to my senior immediately so we can manage this properly and support you through the next steps.”
* “I’ll document our discussion and complete the incident report to ensure learning and prevent recurrence.”
* “Let me explain clearly what happened, what it means, and what we’ll do next.”

Open disclosure • Apologise • Senior support • Inform next steps • Safeguard by documenting
This captures the safe flow: open → apologise → escalate → explain → record.

Delaying openness scores very poorly in honesty and duty of candour MSRA SJT questions.

📋 QUICK FAQ

Do I apologise even if I’m not personally at fault?
Yes — apologise for the event and its impact, not legal liability.

What if a senior advises avoiding disclosure?
Escalate further. GMC candour duties override hierarchy.

Do I disclose near misses?
Yes if safety or trust is affected, or a reasonable patient would expect disclosure.

Should incident reporting occur even without harm?
Yes for significant errors or system issues — learning prevents recurrence.

If I’m unsure whether an error occurred?
Seek senior advice but lean towards openness when harm is possible.

Incident reporting is central to honesty and duty of candour MSRA SJT judgement.

📚 GMC ANCHOR POINTS

• Be open and honest with patients when things go wrong (Good Medical Practice 2024, para 23–30).
• Take prompt action if patient safety is compromised (para 17–21).
• Raise and act on concerns (GMC Raising Concerns 2023).
• Provide apology, explanation, and written record when disclosing notifiable safety incidents (aligns with CQC Regulation 20).

💡 MINI PRACTICE SCENARIO

A double antibiotic dose was prescribed. The patient received one dose and feels unwell. Your senior says, “Just monitor for now.”
Best action: B — Explain the error to the patient and escalate to an available senior.
Why: Prioritises safety, honesty, and escalation. Delaying disclosure or hiding the error breaches candour duties.

Escalation to seniors is expected in honesty and duty of candour MSRA SJT cases.

Concealment breaches honesty and duty of candour MSRA SJT professional standards.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS

✓ Early disclosure preserves trust and safety
✓ Apology ≠ liability
✓ Escalation supports safe management
✓ Clear explanations reduce anxiety
✓ Documentation and incident reporting drive improvement

🔗 RELATED TOPICS

* → Duty of Care
* → Escalating Concerns
* → Professional Boundaries
* → Responding to Complaints
* → Patient Safety Culture

📖 FULL PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Example SJT — Best of 3 (8 options; choose three)

A prescription was issued yesterday at twice the intended dose. The patient is unaware and currently feels well.
A–H options as provided:

A. Wait until full root-cause analysis
B. Inform the patient today, apologise, and explain what is known
C. Assess for harm now and involve a senior
D. Document and complete an LFPSE report
E. Say nothing unless the patient asks
F. Blame the pharmacy
G. Alter the note to hide the error
H. Promise compensation and guarantees

Example SJT — Rank 5 (best → worst)

A test was delayed by admin error. Your consultant suggests saying “it’s still pending” to avoid an awkward conversation.

A. Explain the error, apologise, outline the plan, provide a contact
B. Wait for more details
C. Tell them it’s pending
D. Blame the lab
E. Record and complete an incident report