Appendix 1: Duty of Candour Criteria
Incident which activates the duty:
The DoC procedure must be carried out by the responsible person as soon as practicable after becoming aware that an individual who has received a health, social care or social work service has been the subject of an unintended or unexpected incident, and in the reasonable opinion of a registered health professional has resulted in or could result in:
- death of the person
- a permanent lessening of bodily, sensory, motor, physiologic or intellectual functions
- an increase in the person’s treatment
- changes to the structure of the person’s body
- the shortening of the life expectancy of the person
- an impairment of the sensory, motor or intellectual functions of the person which has lasted, or is likely to last, for a continuous period of at least 28 days
- the person experiencing pain or psychological harm which has been, or is likely to be, experienced by the person for a continuous period of at least 28 days
- the person requiring treatment by a registered health professional in order to prevent:
- the death of the person, or
- any injury to the person which, if left untreated, would lead to one or more of the outcomes mentioned above
