From Volume 42, Issue 4, May 2015 | Pages 324-325
This article explores the potential implications of the Francis Report for members of the dental team from a dento-legal perspective. It looks at the broad recommendations in light of the existing ethical environment in which dental registrants work and asks what is new and what the recommendations will actually mean for dental professionals in practical terms.
The Francis Report is referred to by informed individuals and pops up when healthcare failings are reported in the media. Accordingly, given the significance of the enquiry, it is difficult to admit to not being fully au fait with the findings. A bit like the student who does not want to look as if he/she is the only one in the class who doesn't understand something, dental professionals can find themselves nodding sagely, not really wanting to ask if they are the only one who is unclear about the practical implications for dentistry.
So, for anyone out there who doesn't want to ask the ‘stupid’ question … what does ‘Francis’ really mean for the dental team from a dento-legal perspective?…
The enquiries1,2 conducted by Sir Robert Francis QC into the care of elderly patients in Mid-Staffordshire left him unimpressed with his discoveries. Low standards, avoidable suffering, cost considerations and self-interest seemingly were put above patient care. There were failures to address concerns or improve standards: not a pretty picture of healthcare.
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