9.3 deal with differences of professional opinion with colleagues by discussion and informed debate , respecting their views and opinions and behaving in a professional way at all times , and 9.4 support students ’ and colleagues ’ learning to help them develop their professional competence and confidence .
If you are not governed by either of these two codes then it is most probable that your own professional code will include statements of a similar nature . Continuity of patient care in a complex system is challenging even with good communication . It is an impossibility without it . Individuals , teams and organisations may each have differing specific responsibilities to a single patient at any one time . These responsibilities regularly transfer to other individuals , teams or organisations . There are daily shift rotations ; the impact of holidays ; other planned and unplanned absence ; the arrival and departure of temporary locums ; rotations of trainees ; referrals and more .
At the darkest end of the implications , Dying Without Dignity , a report by the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman , makes for some harrowing reading . After sharing a number of particularly troubling case studies related to death and bereavement , communication is cited as one of the key sources of unacceptable events .
Almost all the cases we looked at highlighted failings in communication : between clinicians and their patient , clinician and families , clinicians and their team , clinicians and other teams , and between hospitals and care providers in the community .
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Even if your professional practice does not involve death and bereavement on a daily basis , the potential impacts on patients and families of poor teamwork should be fairly easy to grasp .
Having said that , some of the impacts may well be less obvious . It has been shown that patients pick up on conflict and friction between the people providing their care . This then affects their levels of confidence and trust which , in turn affects their own communication . I will paraphrase to illustrate an example of this , “ Witnessing my doctor judging and ridiculing their colleague made me reluctant to share my concerns for fear of
13