Whistleblower protections

Abolishing the National Guardian’s Office (NGO) — the only dedicated NHS body for supporting whistleblowers and embedding a ‘speak up’ culture — risks further silencing the clinicians who raise alarms about patient harm. The idea that app-based patient feedback can substitute robust, independent safety structures is not only reductive but dangerously naïve. DAUK has long supported NHS whistleblowers who have faced retaliation, career derailment, and mental health crises after exposing unsafe care. It is profoundly disheartening that no replacement framework for supporting staff who speak up appears to have been announced alongside the abolition of the NGO.

Learn not blame

Equally troubling is the closure of the HSSIB. The HSSIB is an organisation with a statutory remit to conduct independent, learning-based safety investigations without blame. This loss risks taking the NHS backwards to a time when system failures were buried rather than understood. Health Secretary Wes Streeting says these reforms will “hold a megaphone up to patients’ lips.” But we ask: who will be holding the megaphone for staff — especially those raising uncomfortable truths about failing services or leadership malpractice? We therefore call on the Government to urgently clarify: What new, independent structure will protect NHS staff who speak up about unsafe care, discrimination, or malpractice? How patient safety investigations will be preserved with the loss of HSSIB’s statutory function?

Safeguards

What safeguards will exist to ensure this reform does not weaken NHS transparency or accountability? DAUK supports reforms that genuinely streamline care and empower patients and staff alike. But stripping out safety oversight without clear replacements is not reform, it is risk. We urge the Government to meet with frontline representatives, including whistleblowers and patient safety advocates, before pressing ahead. Support our work by becoming a member or donating to our Go Fund Me.

Physician associates

DAUK is actively involved in the national discourse around the roles of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). Our committee members have been vocal in the media, raising concerns about the roles and the regulation of PAs and AAs by the General Medical Council (GMC). We briefed politicians in the House of Commons and House of Lords on the draft Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order 2024, the legislation for the regulation of non-doctors by the GMC, as it passed through Parliament.

Leng review

DAUK also briefed Peers ahead of a Lords debate on the Leng Review, which we welcomed when it was announced in November. We responded to the GMC consultation on their regulation, highlighting the widespread concern on the lack of scope and standards in what is being proposing. The GMC has now begun regulating PAs and AAs, despite a lot of concern around it, with our chair Ms Helen Fernandes saying it will not protect patients or doctors. We have given our support and contributed financially to a legal challenge by Anaesthetists United to the GMC regulation of PAs and AAs. DAUK will not let up on the issue of PAs and AAs. We firmly believe the future of the medical profession and the patients it looks after are at risk.

Dr Jenny Vaughan

We were deeply saddened by the death our dearest friend and colleague Dr Jenny Vaughan. Jenny was a founding member of DAUK, a past chair, and absolutely lived and breathed the Association. There were touching obituaries in the Guardian, the BMJ, and on BBC Radio 4’s Last Word. We are holding a FREE conference in memory of Jenny on 17 May (10am to 4pm) which will feature panels, discussions, and presentations on the causes she was passionate about, as well as some of the challenges facing the NHS.

GP crisis

Our GP committee has been extremely busy highlighting the issues that face general practice. Dr Ellen Welch’s book, Why Can’t I See My GP?, has been a cornerstone of our work with a copy sent to every MP before the general election to help them understand general practice and to make it a key issue. Since the election, copies have been sent to members of the Health Select Committee and to MPs who are also doctors, and we have relaunched our GP manifesto. Dr Welch featured in the Daily Mail, the Sunday Times, i News and the Daily Express, and was interviewed on Sky News, BBC Radio 5Live and BBC Radio Cumbria – among others. Her book prompted debate on ITV’s Good Morning Britain about which types of ailments people should see their GP with, and whether children should be taught in schools how to use and access the NHS.

Manifesto

The GP committee hosted an election briefing during which it unveiled its manifesto for saving general practice. Since the election our GP committee continues to hold the new government to account on issues around general practice. We warned that the increase in employer National Insurance contributions could put financial pressure on already struggling general practices. And while we cautiously welcomed an announcement by the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, for an extra £889m for general practice, we stressed that a huge amount of the money will be swallowed up meeting those National Insurance obligations. DAUK continues to call for funding to help solve the GP crisis. Indeed, we welcomed the findings of the Darzi Review, which advised the government to invest in general practice.

Work with government

We have offered to work with the government on solutions to the issues facing primary care. Our research has found that the equivalent of 3,000 doctors are currently unemployed or underemployed stand ready to work in general practice with the right investment. Committee members have been incredibly busy speaking to the media to highlight the issues facing general practice, not least Dr Sarah Jacques who shared her powerful story of burning out as a GP on BBC Breakfast and in the Telegraph. GP spokesperson Dr Steve Taylor has produced an astonishing wealth of data and statistics on the NHS and general practice, which he shares in his social media network. It’s helped Dr Taylor build an extensive following, including with health journalists, and insert him and DAUK into social media conversations.

NHS Practitioner Health

We highlighted a move by NHS England to stop the funding for hospital doctors referred for help to NHS Practitioner Health. Those who support doctors through Practitioner Health were also told just the week before it was due to be closed. One of our members, at that meeting, anonymously tipped us off. A social media campaign highlighted the NHS England plans in the media and the decision was reversed less than a week later.

Dr Sarah Benn

We were ‘shocked and saddened’ by the sanction handed down to Dr Sarah Benn following her Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing. Dr Benn, a GP for 32 years, was suspended from the medical register following her participation in peaceful climate protests. DAUK’s Dr Steve Taylor wrote a letter to the Times on the case and the discussions around it, saying that protesting would not affect clinical judgement or trustworthiness.

Climate crisis

We joined Plant-Based Health Professionals UK (PBHP UK) to highlight serious concerns from the medical profession over the Government-backed Let’s Eat Balanced campaign. Dr Matt Lee, DAUK’s sustainability lead, and Dr Shireen Kassam, director of PBHP UK, co-wrote an open letter to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to express their deep concerns at the high level of misinformation within the campaign, and ask for the campaign to be retracted. The letter was reported in a number of publications including the Independent and openDemocracy. A series of guest blogs have been published on our website, including this by Dr Marnie Sethi on the health impact of the climate crisis.

NHS Whistleblowing

DAUK supports the proposal for the Office of the Whistleblower and is working with not for profit organisation Whistleblowers UK to change how society thinks about whistleblowing. Dr David Nicholl is at the forefront of our work in this area to enable healthcare professionals to raise concerns without fear. Dr Nicholl highlighted our work to protect NHS whistleblowers at the Medical Journalists’ Association’s (MJA) symposium on Building Trust in Health Journalism. The symposium was supported by DAUK and gave our committee members the chance to hear presentations on a range of issues, and to make contact and build relationships with key health and medical journalists.

Overseas NHS Workers Day

The NHS came together for our fourth annual Overseas NHS Workers Day on Friday 1 March. Overseas NHS Workers Day is now a firm fixture in the calendar and provides a chance to celebrate the incredible contribution they make to the NHS and the health of our nation. Social media was full of videos, photos and the stories of our international colleagues, using the hashtag #OverseasNHSWorkersDay. Trusts displayed flags representing the countries of birth of overseas staff; colleagues wore blue and green, the colours of the day, and some even had an international-themed lunch. Overseas NHS Workers Day takes place this year on Friday 7 March. Join in the celebrations.

Academic Foundation Jobs

An open letter was sent to all medical school deans urging them to unite in opposition to changes to the allocation of academic foundation jobs. We believe UKFPO’s announcement that all Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) applications will fall under the Preference Information Allocation system posed serious issues. The frustrations of the many medical students who were allocated to foundation schools outside of their top choices were shared by our student committee. And we requested a formal review of the UKFPO system by the Department of Health.

DAUK in the media

DAUK and our committee members regularly contributed to articles and broadcasts, and provided briefings and background material to journalists working on more in-depth pieces. We are proactive in putting out comment on our website and social media, and sending it direct to journalists. Our members are working hard to build good working relationships with reporers, including though networking at events such as the Medical Journalists’ Association annual awards. Our work to oppose the expansion of PA and AA roles has had real cut through and been highlighted in the national media, and medical websites and publications. And we have had some stunning media coverage for our GP committee, with members regularly invited to comment in health publications such as GP Online and Pulse Online. We look forward to continuing to advocate for doctors, patients, and the profession in 2025. And, if you can, please support our work by becoming a member or donating to our Go Fund Me.

Dr Nicholl is encouraging Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) members and supporters, as well as MPs and those with an interest in whistleblowing to attend events in Westminster as part of Whistleblower Awareness Week.

Whistleblowers UK has organised two events which may be of specific interest to DAUK members.

The first is titled Meet the whistleblowers: Exploring the issues and agreeing the solutions. It takes place from 1pm to 2.30pm on Wednesday 23 October.

The second is called Duty of candour and whistleblowing, and is being held from 10am to 11.30am on Thursday 24 October. Both events are in House of Lords Committee Room 4A.

These events will be an opportunity to meet people who have blown the whistle and hear how their experience changed their lives.

Lord Berkeley, vice chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Whistleblowing, will chair a discussion on the problems with existing legislation and why it does not work, what needs to change and why they support the Whistleblowing Bill.

Dr Nicholl said: “Being able to highlight concerns and wrongdoings in the NHS on matters of public interest is absolutely crucial to the service.

“Failings can affect patient care, staff safety, and cost the NHS huge sums of money in claims.

“The freedom to speak up for staff and patient safety is vital to achieving a just culture in the NHS.

“But despite the clear benefits of whistleblowing, all too often those who speak out do so in spite of the fear of reprisal from employers.

Independent Office for the Whistleblower

“This is why we need an Independent Office for the Whistleblower and reform of the law with the new Whistleblowing Bill.”

For more information about these events and to book a free place, click here.

Finally we would encourage DAUK members and supporters to contact their Members of Parliament to attend via https://www.writetothem.com

Support the work of DAUK by donating to our Go Fund Me.

Dr Nicholl was taking part in a panel discussion on the subject of Whistleblowing in the NHS.

He spoke about recent work and surveys by the Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) to help doctors across the UK shine a light on the issue of physician associates.

“There was a real fear among people that they could couldn’t speak within their organisations,” he said.

“Junior doctors were really nervous about being identified.”

DAUK is working with Whistleblowers UK – a not for profit organisation which aims to change how society thinks about whistleblowing.

The work aims to reframe whistleblowing, seek reform of UK legislation, and call for better protections for those who highlight issues in the NHS.

Speaking at the symposium, which was supported by DAUK and City University Journalism Department, Dr Nicholl said: “I would argue, and this is something that DAUK are arguing with Whistleblowers UK, that there needs to be reform.

“PIDA (the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998) we don’t think is fit for purpose, and there should be an Independent Office for the Whistleblower.”

The MJA symposium heard a range of presentations including from Dr Ravi Jayaram, who spoke about raising concerns and not being heard.

There were talks on how journalists deal with sensitive leaked information and how they build trust, as well as fact checking, using data to build trust and working with whistleblowers.

Dr Lizzie Toberty, DAUK’s GP lead, said: “It was a brilliant day, with fascinating presenters and speakers who knew their subjects inside out.

“There was lots of interesting and lively debate and discussion, lots of information to digest and to take away, and lots of networking and new contacts being made.

“Medical journalists play a vital role in communicating the workings of healthcare and medicine, and everything that goes with that, and we at DAUK were really pleased to be able to collaborate with the Medical Journalists’ Association.”

Emma Wilkinson vice-chair of the MJA who put the programme together said: “The speakers had so much wisdom and experience to share, and it prompted some incredible questions and discussion, as well as ideas for areas ripe for future investigation.

“It has also encouraged me to reflect on my own work and how I approach sensitive stories and conversations.”

NHS Whistleblowers (NHSWB) – a support group for current and former health professionals made up of current and former doctors, midwives and nurses – said staff should be able to give evidence regarding ‘a culture detrimental to patient safety’.

The Thirlwall Inquiry was set up to examine events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and their implications, following the trial, and subsequent convictions, of former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby.

Dr Matt Kneale, DAUK co-chair, said: “NHS staff who have bravely spoken up about patient safety concerns or unethical practices deserve to have their voices heard and experiences carefully examined. 

“By granting NHSWB core participant status, the inquiry can ensure it has direct access to the perspectives of those on the frontlines who have witnessed troubling practices first-hand.

“Such evidence is vital for understanding the full scope of the problems and informing reforms to better support whistleblowers and safeguard patient care across the NHS.”

NHSWB represents a full cross section of NHS employees, former employees and supporters, including DAUK, Justice For Doctors, and NMC Watch, who collectively have more than 1600 members.

The group has instructed public inquiry specialists Hudgell Solicitors, arguing its evidence relating to how NHS whistleblowers are treated across the UK is of ‘huge significance’. The move has been reported in the media, including on BBC Online.

Rachel Di Clemente, chief executive of Hudgell Solicitors, the firm instructed to represent NHSWB, said: “They are requesting the opportunity to be given a platform at an inquiry of huge national importance to speak collectively as a voice of experience. They are experts in their fields who have seen things go wrong first hand.

“Since the Francis report in 2015, following the Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust Public Inquiry, there has been a series of investigations into NHS Trusts around patient safety where it has been revealed NHS staff have either been too scared to speak up or punished for speaking up.

“Lessons have clearly not been learned and we feel it is imperative that this group be involved in the Thirlwall Inquiry, particularly to help examine whether suspicions could have been raised earlier, whether Letby should have been suspended earlier and how the management responded to concerns raised about her.

“The evidence of this group relating to how whistleblowers are treated, not just at one Trust, but across the UK, is of huge significance.”

NHSWB includes many highly-experienced health specialists who have challenged situations and raised concerns over patient safety within their own Trusts. 

They say they can evidence how whistleblowers are commonly subject to ‘victimisation and persecution’, and referred to their regulators as a direct consequence of raising concerns over patient and staff safety and unethical practices, preventing lessons being learned and safety improvements being made.

A recurring theme, the group says, is senior management at NHS Trusts placing individual and organisational reputational damage limitation ahead of patient and staff safety, and a formulaic approach taken against those whose actions are in conflict with those interests.

NHSWB believes the inquiry should examine the apparent lack of protection afforded to, and the treatment of, whistleblowers and the reasons behind it happening.

Dr Martyn Pitman, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist who was dismissed from his post at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester after raising concerns over maternity patient and staff safety, represents the NHSWB.

He said: “Our members could not be better placed to understand the challenges, complexities and potentially career and tragically sometimes life-destroying risks involved when speaking truth to power within the healthcare system.

“For many of the general public, the details uncovered by the tragic Lucy Letby scandal revealed for the first time what can befall whistleblowers in the NHS who, not uncommonly, place their careers, professional reputations and livelihoods in jeopardy by simply adhering to their basic professional, ethical and moral responsibilities, by raising concerns that are in the public interest.

“We believe the importance of our involvement in this Inquiry is further heightened by the announcement of grave concern reported in the national press this week by the out-going NHS Ombudsman in relation to what he describes as the on-going ‘cover-up culture’ in the NHS and inappropriate victimisation and persecution of whistleblowers,” he added.

Cathryn Watters, founder and director of NMC Watch, which represents nearly 600 nurses and midwives who have been through investigations by their regulator, said: “We feel that the Fitness to Practice process is being weaponised to silence whistleblowers and to punish those who have continued to escalate concerns. Health care regulators must get better skills to unpick this and assure further patient harm is not being risked in pursuit of such cases.”

Consultant Cardiologist Dr Usha Prasad, of Justice For Doctors, was dismissed by Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Trust after raising patient safety concerns. 

She said: “It is important that NHSWB is heard at the inquiry with regards the culture across the NHS when people speak out and raise concerns about patient safety. Following the Lucy Letby case, lessons must be learnt to prevent further such disaster.”

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DAUK is working with Whistleblowers UK – a not for profit organisation which aims to change how society thinks about whistleblowing.

Their work aims to reframe whistleblowing, seek reform of UK legislation, and call for better protections for those who highlight issues in the NHS.

Dr David Nicholl, a spokesperson for DAUK, said: “Exposing wrongdoing and failings in the NHS is vital to the health of the nation.

“Those failings are directly and indirectly affecting patient care, and costing billions of pounds of NHS and taxpayers’ money in claims of negligence.

“But despite the undisputed benefits of whistleblowing to the NHS, there are potentially serious personal and professional costs attached to it.

“Which is why we need urgent reform of the law to protect those who speak out so they can do so without fear of reprisal from employers, and that the NHS takes whistleblowing seriously for the benefit, ultimately, of patients.”

Now, with a Whistleblowing Bill presented to Parliament last year, DAUK is encouraging MPs and frontline NHS workers to attend a Westminster event examining whistleblowing.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Whistleblowing will host a roundtable event from 10am to midday on Wednesday 29 November.

It takes place in person in the House of Lords Committee Room 1 and online.

The roundtable will:

• Provide policy makers with real examples and the consequences of victimisation in healthcare whistleblowers for patients and the public
• Promote urgent change and how this links to the proposals made by the APPG Whistleblowing Bill and an Office for the Whistleblower.
• Be a call to action for parliamentarians, regulators and professionals to take practical steps to move the agenda to transform whistleblowing legislation forward and join and support the work of the APPG and WhistleblowersUK.

The Keynote speakers are Dr Rosalind Ranson, former Isle of Man medical director; Bernie Rochford MBE, principal freedom to speak up guardian; Rob Behrens CBE Parliamentary and Health Service ombudsman; and Steve Turner, chair of Whistleblowers UK Health Focus Group.

Sitting on the panel will be Professor Phil Banfield, BMA Council chair; Dr Chris Day, emergency medicine doctor; Cathryn Watters, founder of NMCWatch; Georgina Halford-Hall, chief executive of Whistleblowers UK; Dr Ravi Jayram, consultant paediatrician at Countess of Chester NHS Trust), and Jenny Vaughan OBE, of DAUK.

It will be chaired by Baroness Susan Kramer and Jo Gideon MP.

Dr David Nicholl said: “The event is an ideal opportunity for politicians to learn why the Protection for Whistleblowing Bill is important for patients and the public, so we’d ask DAUK members to encourage their local MPs to attend.”

Click here to register to attend in person. And click here to book online attendance.

DAUK members can use this letter to invite their MP to the event.

The “rapid review” into West Suffolk hospital, which Hancock had to recuse himself from because of his friendship with the boss at the trust, was ordered in January and had been due for completion in April. Its publication was put back to this month because of the coronavirus pandemic. But it is now not expected until spring.

The Doctors’ Association UK suspects the conclusions are being sat on because they make embarrassing reading for the trust’s chief executive, Steve Dunn, described by Hanock as a “brilliant leader”.

A consultant who chairs the hospital’s medical staff committee wrote to the NHS’s regional director for the east of England, Ann Radmore, last week warning that senior medics felt the hospital could not move on until the review was published.

The NHS East insists the review will be published as soon as possible, but a source confirmed this is likely to be “spring next year”.

Dunn was urged by the Royal College of Anaesthetists to end the “toxic management culture” after the Guardian revealed an unprecedented hunt for a whistleblower who had tipped off a family about a potentially botched operation.

John Warby, whose wife, Susan, died after an operation in August 2018, was sent an anonymous letter highlighting errors in her procedure. A coroner concluded this year that errors in her care had contributed to her death.

After the anonymous tipoff, staff complained of bullying by hospital managers, who demanded they provide fingerprints to identify which of them had written to Warby.

The incident, and other failings in patient safety, contributed to the hospital becoming the first ever to be relegated by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors from “outstanding” to “requires improvement” in January.

Weeks before Warby’s operation, Patricia Mills, a consultant anaesthetist at the trust, had, along with a number of other colleagues, formally raised the alarm internally about patient safety over a doctor who had been seen injecting himself with drugs.

Dozens of staff had accessed Warby’s hospital records, but it was those who had expressed concern about the drug-taking doctor who were asked to provide fingerprint and handwriting samples, insiders claim.

As the same doctor was involved in Warby’s care, Mills, along with other colleagues who had complained, was immediately suspected by those investigating the leak of alerting her family to the errors.

Mills has consistently denied this. But managers demanded that she and other senior staff provide fingerprint and handwriting samples in an attempt to identify the writer of the letter.

They were told by email in August that any refusal to comply could be relevant to the investigation and “could be considered as evidence which implicates you as being involved in the writing of the letter”.

Despite this apparent warning, Dunn insisted in a letter to Hanock in January that staff had not been “threatened with disciplinary action if they chose not to” provide handwriting and fingerprint samples. He accepted that the manner in which things had been done “deeply affected” some of the staff involved and that “this could have been handled differently”. He said staff involved had received a personal written apology.

Dr Rinesh Parmar, the chair of the Doctors’ Association UK, said: “Staff fear that the publication of the report is being further delayed as it may make difficult reading for the trust’s chief executive who the health secretary has previously championed.”

He added: “The delay makes a mockery of the process which was started to investigate concerns of a witch-hunt by senior managers to identify a whistleblower. Patient safety is undoubtedly improved when staff feel able to raise concerns, a culture which promotes this is required.”

A spokeswoman for the BMA said: “Investigations need to be thorough and that can take time, but ongoing delays can have very serious effects on those under investigation and they mean that an organisation cannot move ahead and implement recommendations that may arise from the inquiry itself.”

A West Suffolk hospital spokesman said: “Of course there are discussions in the trust about the review, as you’d expect, but decisions about timing are for NHS Improvement and the Department of Health and Social Care and not something we can comment on.”

It has said it cannot discuss issues about individual members of staff and that it would be premature to comment on matters covered by the review.

A spokesperson for NHS England said: “The independent review into whistleblowing at West Suffolk NHS foundation trust is ongoing, and the findings and recommendations will be published at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Article available here: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/09/nhs-urged-to-publish-delayed-report-on-west-suffolk-hospital-witch-hunt-matt-hancock

In calling for protections to be strengthened Dr Parmar cited the countless emails and messages that the Doctors’ Association UK have received from frontline doctors with concerns. The meeting had a keytone address from whistleblower and Consultant Cardiologist Dr Raj Mattu. Speaking at the meeting, Dr Rinesh Parmar Chair of the Doctors’ Association UK said:

“COVID-19 has exposed and really shone a light on the current void in whistleblowing protection for healthcare workers.

Colleagues have raised concerns about the availability of PPE and testing and have faced detriment and disciplinary action.

A true freedom to speak up is vital for patient and staff safety, there is still a long way to go to achieve a just culture in the NHS.”

He spoke about how the Doctors’ Association UK during the first wave of the pandemic became the voice of frontline doctors, providing a platform for them to share their concerns safely. The creation of the NHSPPE App facilitated the raising of concerns anonymously.

“There is a perverse system at play which targets the whistleblower and their credibility, shifting focus away from the serious patient safety concern that has been raised. The reality is that patients are not safer and the issue is just brushed under the carpet.”

He spoke of the work being done by DAUK on the Learn Not Blame campaign as well as our support for the reforms to the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA) and the calls for an independent Office for the Whistleblower.

Dr Jenny Vaughan spoke about her role with Learn Not Blame as well as some of the work being done by the Royal College of Physicians. Dr David Nicholl spoke about his own personal experiences of being a whistleblower about concerns over drug shortages and operation yellowhammer.

This week our Learn Not Blame and Protect the Frontline campaigns were features by the National Guardian.

Who are we?

DAUK was founded in 2018 to ensure that UK doctors have a strong collective voice, empowering members to speak out about the issues that matter to them. Run by doctors at all stages of training, from medical students to senior consultants, DAUK has grown from a community of over 37,000 supporters which include doctors and medical students. We advocate for both the medical profession and patients, and we’re fighting for a better NHS for everyone.

Our Learn Not Blame campaign advocates for transformational change of the culture of fear and blame that still prevails in parts of the NHS. It promotes a culture in which we can learn in a constructive, fair way when things go wrong, and in which staff feel willing and safe to speak up early about concerns. We are frequently contacted by doctors expressing patient safety concerns in both the NHS and private sector, who say that they have been singled out for blame.

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis our members have raised concerns about their ability to speak out about issues at work, in relation to personal protective equipment and other matters. One of the main pillars of our Protect the Frontline campaign has been the call for a commitment to protect staff who speak out about concerns.

Summary of the DAUK Raising Concerns around COVID-19 survey

Between April 26th and 9th May we ran a survey to better understand these concerns. This was an in-depth questionnaire published across our social media platforms, receiving over 230 detailed responses, the majority from doctors. The results were featured on Newsnight on 14th May.

Over 75 per cent had concerns about not having access to Public Health England (PHE)-mandated PPE. There was evidence of good practice by some hospitals and community organisations, with 50% of respondents reporting that they had not been discouraged from speaking up.

The issues raised were broadly in line with concerns that Freedom to Speak Up Guardians reported being brought to them in NGO pulse surveys, namely worker safety and wellbeing, and behavioural issues.

• 58.6% had raised concerns about the lack of access to PPE at work • 46.9% had been told not to raise concerns about COVID-19 or PPE via social media • 47.6% had been told not to speak to the press about COVID-19 or PPE • 15.2% reported having offered opinions on social media and being challenged or disciplined as a result • 32.0% had experienced bullying around the issues of raising concerns about PPE

Although good practice was highlighted in many cases, the survey painted a worrying picture in some trusts of how individuals were being treated. Even as they were attempting to secure donations of PPE or to source PPE for their workplace at a point when it was not provided by their employer, some of those trying to speak up reported instances of bullying and suppression or threats of detriment to their terms of employment.

Next steps

The ‘command, control, coordination and communication’ arrangements mandated by the declaration of an NHS England Level 4 incident should not prevent staff speaking up locally about safety concerns. As part of our ‘Learn Not Blame’ campaign we are looking to partner hospital trusts and community organisations to work with us to promote a culture in which staff are allowed to learn when things go wrong, rather than being singled out for blame.

We are committed to promoting the work and role of Freedom to Speak Up Guardians to our networks and continuing to empower our members to speak up about their concerns and experiences. Continuing to develop robust and trusted local/internal processes supporting those who speak up is a crucial cornerstone in moving away from a culture of fear and blame in the NHS. We also work to strengthen protections for those for whom internal NHS processes have not worked.

Changing the culture should be a top priority as we emerge from the current crisis. Our COVID-19 survey highlighted many instances of good practice, and we are keen to continue to work with the Office of the National Guardian and other stakeholders such as Protect to build on this.

Read the full article here

Support our work? Become a member today.

Some 46.9 per cent of respondents said they had been told not to raise the issue on social media. A similar number, 47.6 per cent, said they had been warned about speaking to the press during the pandemic.

Medics say that stopping the flow of information – including drawing attention to safety issues – is especially egregious during such a crisis because it prevents life-saving knowledge being effectively shared.

In one Orwellian example of senior managers apparently trying to control this flow, a newsletter sent out to NHS staff listed topics they should be tweeting about. It included thanking people for hard work and retweeting the trust’s own posts – but specified medics should avoid “commenting on political issues, such as PPE”.

Dr Jenny Vaughan, law and policy lead at the Doctors’ Association UK, said: “If you have a transparent, open culture of reporting and people feel free that they can speak up about safety concerns, it saves lives”.

In a statement, she added: “Sadly we are in the biggest public health crisis in a hundred years due to a highly infectious disease where PPE is an especially important aspect to save workers lives.

“It is vital that staff are free to speak up so that we know where the gaps are to keep people safe. This survey shows worrying levels of harassment and bullying to suppress concerns.”