Victory for Mail over NHS whistleblowers

Staff who speak out protected from blacklisting

‘The courage to speak up’

WHISTLEBLOWERS will be protected from being blacklisted by the NHS under plans unveiled today by Jeremy Hunt.

The Health Secretary wants to give them new powers to take bosses to an employment tribunal if they feel have been passed over for a job because they have publicised NHS failings.

Many whistleblowers claim that once they have been sacked by one NHS organisation, it is impossible to work for another as they are known as troublemakers.

Among those who fear they have been blacklisted are a world-renowned paediatric surgeon who now lives in Australia, an emergency care nurse, a pharmacist and a hospital chief executive and chairman.

Mr Hunt’s plans are part of a government drive to protect whistleblowers, prompted by the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal in which hundreds died from poor care.

The plans will be consulted upon and if approved would be a victory for the Daily Mail, which has long campaigned for the fair treatment of brave NHS staff.

But campaigners are sceptical, saying previous initiatives to encourage whistleblowers to come forward have had little impact.

A survey of 2,500 doctors last week showed that half believe their colleagues are still too afraid to raise concerns about poor care.

Mr Hunt wants NHS staff to have the right to go to an employment tribunal if they believe they have been passed over for a job because they have previously blown the whistle.

If the tribunal ruled in their favour, they would receive a substantial amount of compensation for discrimination.

The proposals will also recommend that whistleblowers are reimbursed the full cost of the tribunal fees if their case is upheld.

Outlining the plans at a confer- ence in London, Mr Hunt will say: ‘Today we move another step closer to creating a culture of openness in the NHS, where people who have the courage to speak up about patient safety concerns are listened to, not vilified.

‘These welcome changes will pro- hibit whistleblowers being discriminated against when they seek re-employment in the NHS, ensuring staff feel they are protected with the law on their side.’

The proposals will be subject to a three-month consultation in which medical groups and experts will be able to give their opinions. Ministers will take these into account and hope to publish the final plans by the end of the year.

Professor Jane Dacre, of the Royal College of Physicians, said: ‘This is a welcome next step in creating an open culture in the NHS and ensuring staff are protected and able to speak out when they have concerns over patient safety.

‘We hope these plans encourage clinicians to raise concerns. Flagging of patient safety concerns is known to improve patient safety.’

But Labour questioned why it had taken the Health Secretary so long to introduce such measures despite knowing whistleblowers were being discriminated against.

Justin Madders, the shadow health minister, said: ‘It is of the utmost importance that whistleblowers do not face discrimination when raising concerns over patient safety, staff bullying and declining standards of care.

‘Jeremy Hunt must therefore explain why it has taken him so long to give our hard-working staff the support they deserve after rightly disclosing unacceptable practice in our NHS.’

The Government has introduced a series of measures to protect whistleblowers since an inquiry in 2013 into the Mid Staffordshire scandal, which happened in the late 2000s. These include a whistleblowing guardian at every hospital to whom staff flag up concerns.

But some campaigners say such measures have had little effect as staff are still being sacked for rais- ing concerns and others remain reluctant to come forward.

Whistleblowers who say they have been blacklisted by the NHS include emergency care nurse Jennie Fecitt, who was dismissed from a walk-in centre in Manchester after raising concerns about a colleague using bogus qualifications.

The nurse says she has repeatedly tried to get another job in the NHS and has even been told by a human resources employee that her reputation is tarnished.

Pharmacist Lady Maha Yassaie has also been unable to find another job since she was sacked in 2012 by the now defunct Berkshire West Primary Care Trust after raising safety concerns.

And paediatric surgeon Edwin Jesudason moved to Australia when he was unable to find work in the NHS. He was dismissed by Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool after warning that the operating theatres were dangerous and staff were distressed.

Janet Davies, of the Royal College of Nursing, said: ‘We welcome measures to support staff in raising concerns, but the best way to provide safe patient care is to have enough staff in the first place.’

‘Health professionals across the board are blowing the whistle to tell Jeremy Hunt that services are becoming less safe on his watch.’