In the unfortunate circumstance where an episode of care does not go to plan, City Fertility will communicate with the patient in accordance with the principles of Open Disclosure in which the mandatory requirements are as follows:
Acknowledgement of a patient or patient gamete/embryo safety incident to the patient and/or their support person(s), as soon as possible, generally within 24 hours of the incident. This includes recognising the significance of the incident to the patient.
Truthful, clear and timely communication on an ongoing basis as required.
Providing an apology to the patient and/or their support person(s) as early as possible, including the words “I am sorry” or “we are sorry”.
Providing care and support to patients and/or their support person(s), which is responsive to their needs and expectations, for as long is required.
Providing support to those providing health care, which is responsive to their needs and expectations.
An integrated approach to improving patient safety, in which open disclosure is linked with clinical and corporate governance, incident reporting, risk management and quality improvement policies and processes. City Fertility already has these processes in place. This includes evaluation of the process by patients and their support person(s) and staff, accountability for learning from patient or patient embryo/gametes safety incidents and evidence of systems improvement.
Multidisciplinary involvement in the open disclosure process requiring input from each department involved, plus their direct treating clinician and medical director where relevant.
Compliance with legal requirements for Privacy and Confidentiality for the patient and/or their support person(s), and staff delivering healthcare. Should you, your family, or carer(s) have any concerns during or after your treatment, City Fertility strongly encourages you to raise them.
