Pilot scheme launched to help NHS whistleblowers back to work

NHS England launched a new pilot scheme this week to help whistleblowers from the NHS get back into work .

The Whistleblowers Support Scheme, which will run until March 2018, offers a range of services including career coaching and financial advice for staff who have suffered as a result of raising concerns about and NHS practice.

Those taking part in the programme will have a support package designed for them to meet their specific requirements.

The Francis Report encouraged NHS staff to be open and honest and the NHS England Chair believes it's unfair to lose talented and experienced staff who have raised legitimate concerns.

Sir Robert Francis recommended that a statutory duty of candour be introduced for health and care providers defining as follows:

• Openness – enabling concerns and complaints to be raised freely without fear and questions asked to be answered.
• Transparency – allowing information about the truth about performance and outcomes to be shared with staff, patients, the public and regulators.
• Candour – any patient harmed by the provision of a healthcare service is informed of the fact and an appropriate remedy offered, regardless of whether a complaint has been made or a question asked about it.

Following his report in 2013, Francis went on to publish further reports to provide guidance to NHS managers on how to encourage openness in order to improve standards, as he was so affected by the information he had been given about the appalling treatment of staff who had tried to raise concerns about poor care.

One such report was the Freedom to Speak Up Report which was published in February 2015 which made recommendations on how to create an open and honest reporting culture in the NHS.

Gill Edwards, senior clinical negligence solicitor at Potter Rees Dolan, said:

Whilst The Whistleblowers Support Scheme is a positive step, it says something about the ongoing attitude towards staff who have plucked up the courage to speak out about poor care that such a policy is needed.

From my perspective as a claimant clinical negligence solicitor, I have seen little evidence of any dramatic improvement in openness. In particular, I regularly encounter lengthy delays on obtaining crucial documents relating to internal investigations at the start of a case.

Let’s hope the pilot scheme gives staff the support they need to speak up about poor care so that we move a step closer to improving patient safety.

Gill wrote recently about the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust internal review of maternity services which would not have come to the public’s attention at all had it not been for the bravery of a whistle-blower at the Trust.

Why not read Gill's blog asking why some hospitals perform better than others which spurred the public inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire Hospital Trust by Sir Robert Francis before the Duty of Candour came into force.

Gill Edwards is a senior clinical negligence solicitor with Potter Rees Dolan. Should you have any queries about clinical negligence issues and wish to speak with Gill or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888.