How do you respond when things go wrong?
Eva Cormier
2025-07-25 12:48:45
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: 15
We must promptly provide the effected patient with an explanation of what happened, the potential consequences, any rectifying steps taken and an apology. Apologising is a crucial part, it acknowledges the harm or distress experienced and should be sincere, empathic and meaningful. Apologising can feel daunting and raise questions; ‘If I apologise, will I be admitting liability?’ ‘Am I following organisational processes?’ Regardless of sector, public or private, apologising is not an admission of guilt or liability, this is established in UK legislation – UK Section 2 of the Compensation Act 2006 and the Apologies (Scotland) Act 2016. If you work for yourself, having a plan of how you’ll respond to adverse events will help you meet your duty of candour effectively; consider documenting a policy or procedure to demonstrate to patients that you are meeting your professional obligations. It is important to be aware of your organisation’s policies relating to candour and openness so that you can report adverse events appropriately and seek support when necessary.
Evie Grimes
2025-07-14 18:21:37
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: 13
When something goes wrong our emotional response can lead us into doing things that actually make us feel worse. This is because we seek immediate release through short term pleasure. Instead it can help to do things that will help us in the medium to long term, rather than just trying to avoid the emotion. Take time out – when emotionally aroused you are more likely to make more mistakes and as a result become more stressed. Use some relaxation strategies. Exercise has been shown to be more effective at reducing anxiety than medication. Spend some time in nature – this has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress and raise mood. Talk to your friends about what has happened. Do something to help someone else. Helping other people is good for our wellbeing and by focussing on someone else, your own setback may reduce in perspective. Get a good night’s sleep – if you are upset, you may need to take steps to make this more likely.
Sally O'Conner
2025-07-14 15:28:05
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: 26
Bad outcomes are a part of life. In the emergency room, where I spend a great deal of my time wrestling with life and death and humanity, bad outcomes are with us constantly. I do everything I can to deliver the best possible care to each person who comes in, but things don’t always go as I would like. When these difficult events do happen — and they will — we face a difficult choice: we crumble under the weight of what went wrong, or we find a way to move forward, even if that means temporarily going backward. When things do go wrong, we can use a three-part method to label, understand, and learn from bad outcomes.
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