Four whistleblowing modules: ‘The Modern NHS and Raising Concerns’; ‘Whistleblowing – Getting It Right', with ‘Ask the Expert’; ‘Speaking Up’, Duty of Candour and Tactics Used’; ‘Supporting Whistleblowers’. https://bookings-learning.rcpsg.ac.uk/product?catalog=Whistleblowing
Professor of Oral Surgery and Head of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences at the University of Dundee; Dean of the Dental Faculty of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow
Health Professionals have a duty of care to raise a concern if they believe a patient is at risk of harm. However, these interventions are not always welcomed by authorities. Sir Robert Francis' review, ‘Freedom to Speak Up’, published in 2015, was designed to address the reporting culture in the NHS. A symposium, ‘Freedom to Speak Out’, held at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow in September 2016, considered various aspects of whistleblowing. This article discusses the issues raised and provides advice for people raising concerns. It concludes with some reflections on Sir Robert's review.
CPD/Clinical Relevance: Dentists and Dental Care Professionals need to be aware of their duty of care to raise concerns when patient safety is at risk.
Article
Whistleblowers have played a pivotal role in exposing poor patient care and its often tragic consequences within the NHS.1,2 Despite this courageous and ethical behaviour, these people have generally been poorly treated by their organizations. Their legitimate concerns have often been ignored and they have sometimes been subjected to scapegoating, isolation, suspension and coercion into signing gagging agreements. For some, the outcome has been catastrophic both professionally and personally.3
After an intensive lobbying campaign, Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, asked Sir Robert Francis QC, to carry out an independent review into the reporting culture within the NHS. Sir Robert considered evidence from 43 organizations and 600 individuals, as well as surveying over 19,500 staff, before coming up with a raft of measures to affect a transformation within the NHS. ‘Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) – A Review of Whistleblowing in the NHS’, was published in February 2015.3 The five key themes in his 223-page review were the need for:
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