Lessons must be learned from NHS Tayside deaths

New figures showing that three patients died following adverse events while under the care of NHS Tayside are tragic.

For the families of those people, the impact of their loss will be heightened by the knowledge that their care was not as it should have been.

Duty of candour laws mean families have the right to expect a full and frank explanation of what went wrong.

That is the very least they – and anyone else whose care has fallen below the expected standard – deserve.

But there is also a need to see these figures in the round and acknowledge that many tens of thousands of healthcare interactions happen without incident each year.

NHS Tayside sign. — The three deaths happened last year, as a result of mistakes by NHS Tayside staff.

The hard truth is that tragedies can and will happen within healthcare environments because those providing care and treatment are not infallible and systems fail.

When such tragedies do occur, it is key that a full, open and robust investigation takes place, that the outcomes are communicated freely and the lessons are learned.

Driving up standards and eliminating mistakes wherever possible must always be the
objective.

There can be no excuse for repeated failures