DDU hopeful new statement on health professionals’ reflections will help to reassure profession
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 21st June 2019
A joint statement from healthcare regulators including the GDC, on the benefits of being a reflective practitioner, has been welcomed by the Dental Defence Union (DDU).
Responding to the statement, John Makin, head of the DDU, said:
“We encourage all dental professionals to take part in reflection, which remains an important part of clinical practice and is also a key component of the GDC’s enhanced CPD scheme.
“Careful and conscientious reflection on professional practice, particularly if things go wrong, can be helpful both in terms of learning lessons and in demonstrating insight.
“As the new statement points out, reflections should be anonymised and focus on what has been learned, rather than the identifiable details of those involved or the event. We hope the guidance will help reassure dental professionals about some of the misconceptions about reflection and the contents of reflective notes. For example, the statement explains that the regulators will not ask for personal written reflections in order to investigate a concern against a registrant.
“We encourage members who are completing reflective notes after something has gone wrong or those who have received a request to disclose the document to others, to contact us for further advice.”
