Trust and professionalism

Why this matters on day one

Probity failures are treated far more seriously than clinical errors, because a clinical error can be trained out and dishonesty cannot be relied upon to stay confined. Almost all of the domain is avoidable by default behaviour: tell the truth, keep boundaries, and say when you got something wrong.

What the domain requires

1. 1Be honest. In records, in reports, in research, in applications and about your own performance. Never document something you did not do or did not check.
2. 2Maintain boundaries. No personal relationships with patients. Careful use of social media. Do not use your position for personal gain, and do not treat yourself, friends or family except in an emergency.
3. 3Be open when things go wrong. The duty of candour: tell the patient promptly, apologise, explain what will be done. An apology is not an admission of liability, and for notifiable safety incidents openness is a statutory requirement as well as a professional one.
4. 4Cooperate with processes. Engage honestly with complaints, incident reviews, coroner inquests and regulatory processes.

What evidencing it looks like

• A candour conversation you took part in, documented.
• A reflection on an error you made, including what you told the patient.
• Complaints or incidents you contributed to resolving.

What falls short

• Signing that you checked something you did not check.
• Apologising with a justification attached, which reads as a defence rather than an apology.
• Prescribing for yourself, friends or family.
• Assuming a private social media account is private.

Demonstrated by