Apologising (saying sorry)

Offering a genuine, early apology when something has gone wrong. Under the duty of candour, saying sorry is expected and is not an admission of legal liability.

In complaint stations, a sincere "I’m sorry this happened to you" early on is powerful and expected. Withholding an apology to avoid blame is the wrong instinct.

More glossary terms

ABCDE approachA systematic method for assessing and treating an acutely unwell patient — Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure — dealing with each before moving on.
AMPLE historyA focused emergency history — Allergies, Medications, Past history, Last meal, Events — taken quickly in acute situations.
ARCPThe annual assessment that decides whether a doctor in training has met the competencies to progress to the next stage.
AVPU scaleA rapid way to grade consciousness — Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, Unresponsive — used in initial assessment.

Put it into practice

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