Expert warns NHS whistleblowers need more protection

An expert has warned that current protections for NHS staff to speak out about wrongdoing may be insufficient to prevent another major scandal like that at the Mid Staffordshire hospital trust.

Sir Robert Francis led the inquiry into hundreds of patient deaths at Stafford Hospital over ten years ago and said that despite subsequent attempts to encourage whistleblowing amongst staff, some still pay a heavy price for speaking up, which discourages others from coming forward.

Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark, NHS’ National Guardian, whose role it is to protect whistleblowers in England, also says that too many health service chiefs are still not protecting those who raise concerns from bullying or victimisation.

A record number of over 25,000 NHS whistleblowers came forward last year, up by 25 per cent on the year before, raising issues such as bullying and patient safety.

The guardian system was set up in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire scandal that saw hundreds of patient deaths due to poor care between 2005 and 2009.

Sir Robert said that he was not confident it would prevent another catastrophe, adding “There is a danger of it happening again when pressures similar to those that existed at the time of Mid Staffs come about.

“But I think the way to stop it is to think all the time about the culture and make sure you’ve got an open culture, a supportive one and one that treats the patient first by listening to the staff’s concerns about them.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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