Media release: Two in five Scots reported that they or someone they care for has experienced an adverse event while receiving healthcare

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Forty per cent of Scots surveyed say they, or someone they have cared for, has experienced an adverse event when receiving health or care. An adverse event is an event that could have caused or resulted in harm to people.

Nearly two-thirds of people surveyed in Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s 16th Citizen’s Panel report were unaware of what should happen next if an unintended incident in health and care causes harm.

The report gathered views from more than 659 people across Scotland on experiences of care through local GP/Medical Practices on topics such as Continuity of Care, the Duty of Candour and the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities.

The findings also reveal that public awareness of key patient rights in Scotland remains low. This is despite their critical role in ensuring transparency, accountability and compassionate care.

Two in five respondents reported that either they or someone they cared for had experienced an adverse event. However, 61% were unaware of the process that should be followed when something goes wrong in healthcare, which is set out in the Duty of Candour.

Clare Morrison, Director of Engagement and Change, said:

Two-thirds of respondents (65%) had not heard of the Duty of Candour, a legal requirement for health, care, and social work services to be open and honest when something goes wrong and causes harm.

And more than half of those surveyed (55%) feel there is not enough public information available about the Duty of Candour.

It states that if something unexpected happens — such as a mistake or accident — that causes harm, the organisation must:

• Review what happened
• Speak to the person or their family
• Be open and honest
• Apologise
• Learn from the mistake to make improvements

The report recommends the Scottish Government:

• Improves visibility and clarity of Duty of Candour and Patients’ Charter information across digital and non-digital platforms
• Uses plain language and key messages to explain what ‘candour’ means
• Embeds the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities into everyday patient communications
• Engages third sector and advocacy organisations to reach diverse communities and those affected by adverse events.

The full report is now available to read online: https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.scot/publications/sixteenth-citizens-panel-report/

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Notes to editor

Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s statutory role is to help improve the quality of health and care, provide information to the public about the quality of health and care services, monitor public involvement, and to evaluate and provide advice on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of medicines and health technologies.

The Citizens’ Panel for health and social care is part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s work to involve people in the development and delivery of care services hisengage.scot/informing-policy/citizens-panel/.

Our organisation’s Community Engagement and Transformational Change’s work involves undertaking engagement with people and communities from across all 32 local authority areas to ensure that services meet their needs, identify sustainable service improvements and to develop trust.

Their findings are later compiled into reports, which are published on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Community Engagement website at www.hisengage.scot.

An adverse event is an event that could have caused, or did result in, harm to people or groups of people. This programme of work supports a consistent national approach to adverse events through identification, reviews, reporting and learning.