Everyday Professional Honesty

Integrity is shown through small daily actions. Clear explanations, transparent costs, accurate handovers, and honest CPD submissions help patients trust advice, even when clinics are busy. ^[1]

Communication and costs

Patients should be given balanced options with clear benefits, risks, and prices. ^[5]

Written quotes should be used to reduce confusion, and pressure tactics such as “only today” offers must be avoided.^[2]

Staff should confirm what will happen next, when it will happen, and record clear follow-up instructions. ^[3]

Handover, supervision, and CPD

Handover notes must be accurate, and advice should be attributed to the correct clinician. Supervised work must be logged properly, and limits of competence should be declared. CPD must be submitted truthfully, with evidence kept in order. ^[4]

• Daily honesty checklist: check patient identity before sharing information; correct mistakes quickly; avoid copying data forward without checking; and use approved channels for clinical questions. ^[3]
• Team habits: use short agreed phrases for delays; keep language in notes neutral; and make sure callbacks are clearly assigned so promises are kept. ^[3]

Simple tools that support honesty

Referral forms that prompt for red flags and uncertainty help prevent omissions. Clear lists of dispensing options reduce bias. Short decision logs should record unusual choices, with who decided, what was done, when, and why, so later readers understand the context. ^[6][8]

• Basic review measures: sample a few records each month; check that advice is consistent for all patients; review conflict registers; and keep a short action list with named owners and dates. ^[9][7]

References (numbered in text) Why we include references

1. 16. Be honest and trustworthy — General Optical Council Find (opens in a new tab)
2. Unfair commercial practices: CMA207 — Competition and Markets Authority (GOV.UK) Find (opens in a new tab)
3. Clinical handover and handoff in healthcare: a systematic review of systematic reviews — Melissa Desmedt; Dorien Ulenaers; Joep Grosemans; Johan Hellings; Jochen Bergs; International Journal for Quality in Health Care. 2021. Find (opens in a new tab)
4. The General Optical Council (Continuing Professional Development) Rules Order of Council 2021 — legislation.gov.uk Find (opens in a new tab)
5. Gaining consent to treatment from adults — College of Optometrists Find (opens in a new tab)
6. Joint guidance on the NHS e-Referral Service — NHS England Digital Find (opens in a new tab)
7. Managing conflicts of interest in the NHS: guidance for staff and organisations — NHS England Find (opens in a new tab)
8. Records Management Code of Practice for Health and Social Care — NHS England Find (opens in a new tab)
9. Clinical audit: a guide for NHS Boards and partners — Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP). 2021. Find (opens in a new tab)