Landmark laws will be introduced in Victoria by the end of the year that will require all public and private hospitals to apologise to patients and conduct a review whenever serious adverse events occur in their care. 

Called the statutory duty of candour, it extends existing open disclosure policies.

However, legal experts argue making these professional obligations official legislation will force issues within hospitals out into the open and trigger candid discussions between doctors and patients, creating a safer culture. 

Health lawyer Michael Gorton chaired the expert working group that made formal recommendations to the State Government as to how the statutory duty of candour would work.