Remediation for communication, candour and complaint concerns

Remediation after a patient complaint is the work of understanding why a patient or family felt let down, being open about anything that went wrong, and showing that the way you communicate has changed. It applies whether the complaint stayed with your employer, went to an ombudsman, or was passed to your regulator as a fitness to practise concern.

Communication concerns are among the most common reasons for complaints. Patients describe feeling dismissed, rushed, not listened to, spoken about rather than to, or left without an explanation after something went wrong. Sometimes the clinical care was sound and the problem was entirely in how it was explained. Sometimes poor communication hid or contributed to a clinical error. Either way, it can be addressed, and regulators generally see communication as an area where real change is possible.

This page sets out the Communication and Candour Pack, six self-paced courses chosen because their outlines cover communication skills, the duty of candour, dignity and respect, and both preventing and responding to complaints. Use them with the free remediation readiness check and the reflective statement builder.

• NMC. The fitness to practise library asks whether the concern can be addressed (FTP-16a), whether it has been addressed (FTP-16b), and whether repetition is highly unlikely. Communication concerns are usually addressable, so the focus is on the evidence that practice has changed. The NMC Code includes communicating clearly and treating people with kindness, respect and compassion within its themes.
• GMC and MPTS. Insight is shown through reflection and remediation, and testimonials that can be verified are generally more useful. Tribunals have used the Guidance for MPTS tribunals since 24 November 2025; check its current wording.
• GDC. Development outcome A of the GDC's enhanced CPD scheme covers effective communication, including consent, complaints and raising concerns, which makes communication learning directly relevant to dental professionals' CPD records too.
• HCPC. The HCPTS practice note on impairment (August 2025) frames insight in terms of the future risk of repetition.

Feedback is especially valuable here. Patients and colleagues are the people who experience your communication, so their views after the change are some of the strongest evidence you can collect.

Courses alone are not enough. The strongest communication portfolios usually combine learning with proof that patients and colleagues now experience something different. Consider:

• A reflective statement that describes the complaint from the patient's point of view first, before your own. What did they experience, and why was it reasonable for them to feel that way?
• Specific changes, such as how you now open consultations, check understanding with teach-back, explain delays, or follow up after difficult news.
• Patient feedback collected through your employer's normal routes after the change.
• Colleague feedback or a 360-degree review that includes communication.
• Testimonials from colleagues who know about the complaint.
• Your response to the complaint, if it was handled well, as evidence of openness.

Use the reflective statement builder to draft in your own words. It checks that the patient cannot be identified, which matters: even a well-meant reflection that names a complainant can create a new confidentiality concern.

A complaint can feel deeply personal, especially when you believe you did your best. Feeling hurt, defensive or anxious is normal, and the course on dealing with a complaint includes a module on handling stress and the emotional impact. Talk to someone you trust, use the support your defence organisation or union offers, and consider confidential services such as NHS Practitioner Health if you are eligible. If you are in crisis, contact your GP, NHS 111 or the Samaritans on 116 123.