ABOUT 700 patients will be told about mistakes that have led to harm under new national rules, county hospital bosses have said.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUHT) managers estimate 694 people a year will be told under "duty of candour" rules.

These were brought in by the Care Quality Commission in the wake of poor care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

It puts a legal duty on trusts "to inform and apologise to patients if there have been mistakes in their care that have led to harm".

Dr Tony Berendt, OUHT medical director, told board members in a report: "The duty of candour will have far reaching implications for all staff in terms of understanding the nature of incidents the definitions of harm and the level of support that can be offered to the individual affected by the incident."

Actions needed by staff include reviewing education and how incidents are recorded, he said.

The CQC has said the duty, introduced on November 27, "is an important step towards ensuring there is an open, honest and transparent culture; particularly when things go wrong".

Our top stories

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.