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NHS whistleblowers still face ‘culture of fear’ – Patients First

There is still a ‘culture of fear’ for NHS whistleblowers, despite a major push to create a more open culture in the health sector, Patients First has warned. 

The campaigning organisation’s 70-page dossier of cases, which highlights problems such as bullying and the mismanagement of complaints, has been handed in as part of the government’s review into whistleblowing, led by Sir Robert Francis QC. 

Lawyers looked at the Patients First case summaries, which revealed that, in all instances, individuals have suffered some form of loss, either professionally, personally or financially. 

Nearly half the cases are ongoing or are unresolved, and two-thirds of those involved have left the NHS completely. 

Patients First stated that it has heard from nurses who have raised a concern to their line manager and been hauled in to the ward for questioning. 

“This is the level of bullying that is commonplace in too many parts of the health service. It is our view that unless this is acknowledged by the Department of Health, NHS England and every single chief executive in our health services, we will continue to have problems, and staff will remain fearful,” the organisation added. 

Patients First chair Dr Kim Holt said she was shocked by the number of people who came forward. “For me, bullying is the major issue,” she said. 

Last week, the call for contributions to the Freedom to Speak Up Review closed. At the time, Sir Robert said that he was grateful for how candid and helpful people have been in making their contributions. 

“It must have been very difficult for some people to talk about their experiences in this way and I believe they have performed a significant public service in taking the time to do this,” he said. “My team and I will now review all the contributions to draw out key themes on barriers and obstacles, and ideas and solutions on how to overcome them.” 

Following its document submission, Patients First has made several recommendations, which include a call for a zero tolerance approach to bullying; that the NHS should adopt an approach of ‘early intervention’ as soon as any serious patient safety or care concerns are raised; to hold to account those who victimise whistleblowers; and that trusts boards must take a series of practical steps to ensure patient safety is a board ‘priority’. 

Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents all organisations that commission and provide NHS services, said: “We welcome the additional evidence presented by Patients First. We are all in agreement that we need to have mechanisms for NHS staff to have their concerns listened to and feel supported when they raise legitimate concerns. 

"The vast majority of staff who raise concerns have them dealt with effectively and we need to make sure this is the experience for everyone. We know there is more to do, particularly around ensuring there are effective feedback mechanisms in place and no-one should experience bullying.” 

He added that employers have made huge progress using evidence-based approaches to staff engagement and invested time and resource to building trust between individuals and their organisations. 

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt stated that the NHS has come a long way since the tragic events at Mid Staffs but “we still hear of cases where staff concerns are being ignored”. 

“That's why I asked Sir Robert Francis to lead this review, and help create a more open culture in the NHS,” he said. 

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