NI consultation on 'duty of candour' health law opens

The Duty of Candour law would mean all healthcare staff must be open and honest in all their dealings with patients and the public

A consultation on a proposed "duty of candour" law for Northern Ireland health workers opens on Monday.

If implemented, the law would mean all health staff must be open and honest in their dealings with patients and the public.

A duty of candour was one of the 96 recommendations from the inquiry into hyponatraemia-related deaths.

The 14-year inquiry into the deaths of five children in Northern Ireland hospitals found four were avoidable.

Three years on from the report, the Department of Health is launching a 16-week consultation on draft proposals for a "Duty of Candour and Being Open Framework".

The law would not only apply to being open and honest with patients, but also within organisations in terms of reporting adverse incidents or near misses that may have led to harm.

It is unlikely new legislation on the issue would be passed during the current mandate, so it would then fall to a new Northern Ireland Assembly after elections in 2022.

• 'Duty of candour' health law could take four years

• Timeline of hyponatraemia inquiry

The 14-year hyponatraemia inquiry, chaired by Mr John O'Hara QC, examined the treatment of five children who died in Northern Ireland hospitals between 1995 and 2003.

It concluded that four of the deaths were avoidable.

The 14-year inquiry into hyponatraemia-related deaths was set up to examine the deaths of Adam Strain, Raychel Ferguson, Claire Roberts, Conor Mitchell and Lucy Crawford (not pictured)

Hyponatraemia is a shortage of sodium in the blood that can be fatal and can occur when hospital fluids are not administered properly.

Launching the consultation, Health Minister Robin Swann said he gave a commitment to progress the implementation of the recommendations in the hyponatraemia report in January 2020, but a consultation was delayed by the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We are keen to hear as wide a range of views as possible," he said.

"This is the opportunity for your voice to be heard on an issue that is of the utmost importance to the delivery of health and social care services."