Whistleblowing and patient safety: the patient’s or the profession’s interests at stake? Authors – Professor Steve Bolsin, Dr Rita Pal, Dr Peter Wilmshurst, Dr Milton Pena.
The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine has attempted to move the medical profession forward. They have recently published a paper developed by a number of leading NHS Whistleblowers. The paper is available for download here.
Whistleblowing has been a complex issue for the government. Even though Andrew Lansley has tried to instigate consultations, the slightly odd situation is that no one has offered to speak to the whistleblowers. Few whistleblowers were asked to the Mid Staffordshire Inquiry. Indeed, any concerns raised by whistleblowers are often dismissed.
The paper discusses serious problems with the current culture of medicine as well as difficulties with the regulatory bodies. Its recommendations are as follows
“Our recommendations are firstly that the profession, through the GMC or BMA Council, should commission a Consultation Group on Reporting Poor Care. This Group will examine the consequences to all parties from incidents of reported poor care. Second, the Government should consider establishing a Health Select Committee Review of Whistleblowing that would make impartial recommendations to Government and the profession. Third, the Government should consider setting up and resourcing a National Whistleblowing Centre similar to that in the US. We believe that only by open public scrutiny will constructive change be cemented into exemplary clinical practice”
Professor Bolsin asks the question
”The question that individual medical professionals must answer is ‘Which doctor would you prefer for your relatives or yourself? A doctor that is prepared to report poor care to improve your, or your relatives outcome, or one that is not prepared to do so regardless of the consequences to your relative or yourself?’ When the profession can truthfully answer that question they will be able to put in place the necessary structures for change. The people who deserve this most are our longsuffering patients”
The recommendations have been considered by Stephen Dorrell, Chairman to the Health Select Committee.He told the Independent, he was thinking about an Inquiry into whistleblowing, a suggestion put to him by Andrew Mitchell MP in 2009.
The Independent also commented on the above paper discussion an American style solution of a National Whistleblowing Centre.
So far, the media have [ apart from the Independent] have been reluctant to mention the existence of this paper. Of course, if you search for the paper on the internet, it is everywhere.
It is potentially as if the whistleblowers are effectively silenced by the media and refuse to allow the public access to the solutions presented by doctors. The Health Select Committee recently made recommendations contrary to that of the paper - namely that doctors should be penalised for not raising concerns. The authors argue that the terrain is currently unsafe and the GMC's position is uncertain on the subject of whistleblowing. We are informed that the GMC has been asked for a Whistleblower's Consultation to determine the changes required at the GMC.
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