Duty of Candour Training: What It Covers and Who Needs It

Duty of candour training teaches you what to do when something goes wrong with a patient's care: how to tell the person, how to apologise, what to record and how to report it. It covers the professional duty that applies to you as a UK-registered healthcare professional, and the legal duty placed on care organisations.

Facing a concern about openness?

Some professionals are facing a complaint, an employer investigation or a fitness to practise concern about how open they were after an incident.

Looking for CPD?

Others want duty of candour CPD for appraisal or revalidation. This guide covers both.

In short

There are two duties of candour in the UK: one applies to you as an individual professional, the other to the organisation you work for.
When something goes wrong, you must tell the person, apologise, offer support and explain the effects.
Apologising to a patient does not mean that you are admitting legal liability, according to the GMC and NMC guidance.
Our Duty of Candour in Healthcare Practice course: £79, 2 CPD hours, online, CPD certified by The CPD Certification Service.

What the duty of candour is

There are two duties of candour in the UK: one applies to you as an individual professional, the other to the organisation you work for. For the full explanation, read our guide to the duty of candour in healthcare.

The professional duty of candour

In 2014 the chief executives of the statutory regulators of healthcare professionals published a joint statement on the professional duty of candour. The GMC and NMC guidance, based on that statement, says every health and care professional must be open and honest with patients when something that goes wrong with their treatment or care causes, or has the potential to cause, harm or distress. You must:

tell the person (or, where appropriate, their advocate, carer or family) when something has gone wrong
apologise to them
offer “an appropriate remedy or support to put matters right (if possible)”
explain fully the short and long term effects of what has happened.

You must also be open and honest with colleagues, employers, relevant organisations and your regulator, and take part in reviews and investigations when requested.

The guidance

The GMC and NMC set this out in detail in Openness and honesty when things go wrong: the professional duty of candour, in effect since 29 June 2015 and last updated on 13 December 2024. Other regulators use their own wording, such as HCPC standard 8.1 and GOC standard 19, "Be candid when things have gone wrong".

The statutory duty for organisations

Nation	Law	What it requires
England	Regulation 20, Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (CQC)	After a notifiable safety incident, providers must tell the relevant person as soon as reasonably practicable, apologise, follow up in writing and keep records.
Scotland	Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 and the Duty of Candour Procedure (Scotland) Regulations 2018, in force from 1 April 2018	Organisations must notify the person, apologise, offer a meeting and review the incident.
Wales	Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020, duty in force from 1 April 2023	NHS bodies and primary care providers (for NHS services) must act when a person suffers, or could suffer, unexpected or unintended harm that is more than minimal and care was or may have been a factor.
Northern Ireland	No statutory duty of candour in force at the time of writing	In February 2026 the Department of Health said it is progressing an Organisational Duty of Candour Bill, and launched a Being Open Framework.

The organisational duty does not replace your own. The Welsh statutory guidance notes that the professional duty applies in more situations than the organisational duty.

What duty of candour training covers

A good course covers what to do when you realise something has gone wrong, how to reflect on it and how to change your practice.

When the duty applies

The GMC and NMC guidance applies when something goes wrong with a patient's care and they suffer, or may yet suffer, harm or distress as a result. It is not intended for cases where a condition gets worse because of the natural progression of an illness.

The candid conversation

You should speak to the patient as soon as possible after you realise something has gone wrong. You do not have to wait for an investigation to finish, but be clear about what is and is not yet known, and share all you know and believe to be true. Patients expect an apology to tell them what happened, what can be done to deal with any harm, and what will be done to prevent someone else being harmed. You are not expected to take personal responsibility for a system error or a colleague's mistake, but “the patient has the right to receive an apology from the most appropriate team member”.

Apology and legal liability

"Apologising to a patient does not mean that you are admitting legal liability for what has happened."

GMC and NMC, Openness and honesty when things go wrong

In England and Wales, section 2 of the Compensation Act 2006 says an apology "shall not of itself amount to an admission of negligence or breach of statutory duty." In Scotland, the Apologies (Scotland) Act 2016 stops an apology being used as evidence of liability in civil proceedings, with some exceptions, and section 23 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 covers apologies given under the duty of candour procedure.

Records, near misses and reporting

Record the details of your apology in the patient's clinical record. A near miss is an adverse incident that had the potential to cause harm but did not; the guidance asks you to use your professional judgement about telling the patient, and to talk to them where there is information the patient needs to know or would want to know. Report incidents at an early stage through your employer's system, and raise a concern if you are discouraged from reporting.

Team culture, reflection and insight

If you manage others, you must protect people who raise concerns from unfair criticism or action, and you should make sure your team is trained in patient safety and learns from incidents. Training should end with reflection: what happened, what you would do differently and how you will share what you have learnt.

Who needs duty of candour training

After an incidentSomething has gone wrong with a patient's care and you want to be sure you meet your duty.
A concern about your opennessA delay in telling the patient, telling them only part of what happened, an apology that did not explain what went wrong, assuming a colleague had told the patient, or records that do not match what was said.
Under investigationYour employer or regulator is looking at what happened and how you responded.
Leading a teamYou are responsible for how your team reports incidents and talks to patients after harm.
CPD, appraisal and revalidationYou want structured learning on candour with a certificate for your records.

Duty of candour training after a complaint or fitness to practise concern

The NMC treats a failure to be open as a serious concern. It lists "breaching the professional duty of candour to be open and honest when things go wrong, including covering up" among the concerns it describes as “more difficult to put right”. Concealing a mistake is itself one of these concerns.

The NMC says decision makers look at evidence of insight and any steps taken to strengthen practice when deciding whether fitness to practise is currently impaired. The GMC and NMC guidance notes that a fitness to practise panel may view an apology as evidence of insight.

Your written reflection

A certificate on its own does not show insight. When you share it with your employer, representative or regulator, add your own written reflection covering:

what happened, in plain and honest terms
what you told the patient, when, and what you left out
the effect on the patient and on trust in you and your team
what you now do differently, with examples from your practice.

Please note

No course can guarantee the outcome of a complaint, investigation or hearing. Take advice from your defence organisation, union or legal representative. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Duty of candour training for CPD

Candour applies to every area of practice, so it is a practical topic for your CPD record. Our course gives you a certificate showing the course title, CPD hours and completion date. Use it with a short reflection in your appraisal portfolio and the CPD records you keep for revalidation or renewal. CPD requirements differ between regulators, so check your own regulator's current requirements.

Our online Duty of Candour course

Online course

Duty of Candour in Healthcare Practice

Self-paced and online, with instant access and a certificate on completion recording the course title, CPD hours and date. Probity & Ethics is CPD certified by The CPD Certification Service (provider no. 13197).

£79
2 CPD hours
6 sections
25 lessons
Certificate on completion

Understanding the duty of candour
Professional guidance from regulators
Being open when things go wrong
Reflection and insight after an incident
Team culture and leadership
Summary and assessment

View the Duty of Candour course → Any 10 courses for £500

The course is written for professionals registered with the GMC, GDC, NMC, GPhC, HCPC, GOC, GCC, GOsC or Social Work England. See the courses for your profession:

To support your reflection

Frequently asked questions

Is duty of candour training mandatory?

The professional duty of candour applies to every registered healthcare professional, whether or not you have completed a course. Whether training is mandatory for you depends on where you work. In Scotland, for example, the Duty of Candour Procedure (Scotland) Regulations 2018 require organisations to make sure that employees who carry out the procedure receive relevant training and guidance.

How long is duty of candour training?

The length depends on the provider and the depth of the course. Our Duty of Candour in Healthcare Practice course gives 2 CPD hours across 6 sections and 25 lessons. It is self-paced, so you can work through it at your own speed.

Does an apology admit liability?

The GMC and NMC guidance states that apologising to a patient does not mean that you are admitting legal liability for what has happened. In England and Wales, section 2 of the Compensation Act 2006 says an apology does not of itself amount to an admission of negligence or breach of statutory duty. In Scotland, section 23 of the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 makes the same point for apologies given under the duty of candour procedure.

Does the duty of candour apply to near misses?

Under the professional duty, the GMC and NMC guidance asks you to use your professional judgement about whether to tell a patient about a near miss, and to talk to them where there is information the patient needs to know or would want to know. The Welsh statutory guidance notes that near misses are not a trigger for the organisational duty in Wales. If you are unsure, seek advice from your team or a senior colleague.

Can I use a duty of candour course for CPD?

Yes. Our duty of candour course is CPD certified by The CPD Certification Service and gives you a certificate with the course title, CPD hours and completion date. Add a short written reflection on what you learnt and how it changes your practice, and check your own regulator's current CPD requirements.

Will a duty of candour course help with a fitness to practise concern?

A course helps you understand the duty and gives you a structure for your reflection. The NMC says decision makers look at evidence of insight and steps taken to strengthen practice, and the GMC and NMC guidance notes that a panel may view an apology as evidence of insight. No course can guarantee an outcome, so add your own written reflection and take advice from your defence organisation, union or legal representative.

Sources

This guide is based on the following official guidance and legislation, checked in October 2026.

Duty of Candour Training: What It Covers, Who Needs It and How to Do It Online