Adhering to new duty of candour guidance

New joint guidance from professional regulators focuses on the need for doctors, nurses and midwives to be open and honest with patients when things go wrong. Following the recommendations of the Francis report into care failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust, which called for a culture of openness and transparency, the guidance shows registered staff how to fulfil a common duty of candour set out in their professional standards, including the NMC code. This article summarises the guidance as it applies to nurses.