Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, has announced changes to how whistle blowers in the NHS are treated following the patient deaths which occurred as Gosport War Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2001.
NHS Trusts in England will be required to report annually on how concerns raised by staff and patients have been addressed. In addition, medical examiners will be introduced to review non-coronial deaths along with the announcement of better oversight of the prescribing of controlled drugs within trusts.
Professor Mike Griffin, RCSEd President said:
“RCSEd believes that more protection for whistle blowers is essential to ensure that staff are not scared of informing managers of poor or unsafe clinical practice. Patient safety should be at the heart of the NHS and protecting whistle blowers is a vital step toward this. Whilst, legislation will help to do this more also needs to be done to change the culture which exists within the NHS to ensure it is open and honest."