Safety expert: No surprise if this is happening elsewhere

SITUATIONS similar to Gosport are “likely” to be taking place elsewhere, according to a leading health academic.

Professor Sir Brian Jarman – head of the Dr Foster Unit at Imperial College London, which specialises in health safety data – said NHS whistleblowers are still “fired, gagged and blacklisted”.

Sir Brian also said his unit’s information on mortality rates was not properly assessed by health officials. He added: “There really is a desire not to know. It has been difficult for whistleblowers who have tried to draw attention to these problems to get themselves heard.”

Asked if he would be surprised if events like Gosport were happening in other hospitals, he replied: “I think it’s likely.”

Following the Gosport deaths, the NHS carried out a Freedom to Speak Up Review in 2015 and created guardians and pilot schemes to support whistleblowers.

But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said a “blame culture” meant it was still too difficult for NHS staff to raise concerns or for medics to admit mistakes.