The government has ordered an urgent inquiry into the local hospital of the health secretary, Matt Hancock, after the Guardian revealed its unprecedented \u201cwitch-hunt\u201d for a whistleblower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has told NHS England to commission a \u201crapid review\u201d of the actions of bosses at West Suffolk hospital. They are under fire for demanding that staff give fingerprints and samples of their handwriting to help identify who wrote to a family alerting them to failings in care that contributed to a patient\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The review could raise difficult questions about what Hancock \u2013 a professed champion of NHS whistleblowers \u2013 knew about the trust\u2019s tactics and what he did about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Doctors\u2019 Association UK, which has voiced alarm about the \u201ctoxic culture\u201d at the trust, welcomed news of the review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe support all initiatives to improve patient safety and therefore welcome this rapid review commissioned by the government, which we hope will shine a light on concerns raised about decisions taken by senior managers,\u201d said Dr Rinesh Parmar, the association\u2019s chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe hope that going forwards the dedicated staff at the trust are given all the support they need to reinstate an environment and culture of openness. Not only will this improve staff morale, it will create a palpable change that commands the confidence of the patients of West Suffolk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The review follows a series of Guardian revelations that have highlighted serious patient safety concerns and the \u201cbullying\u201d of doctors who hospital bosses believed raised the alarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n