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Stafford Hospital witness to advise NHS Freedom to Speak Up review By Kat Keogh
@katkeogh
The nurse who exposed appalling treatment of patients at Stafford Hospital has been enlisted as an adviser to a major review into NHS whistleblowing. Helene Donnelly was a key witness at the second public inquiry held by Sir Robert Francis QC into care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. She will now advise Sir Robert as he leads the Freedom to Speak Up review, which is calling on nurses and other NHS staff to share their experiences of raising concerns. The review, commissioned by health secretary Jeremy Hunt earlier this year, will look at ways to end the ‘climate of fear’ and support staff to raise concerns without recrimination. Ms Donnelly was appointed ambassador for cultural change last year by her employer Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent NHS Partnership Trust, where she helps staff raise concerns.
She said of the review: ‘This is an important and much needed opportunity to provide information about the barriers which currently exist and deter those with valid concerns from speaking out. ‘This must change and this review will provide answers to how this crucial change can begin to come about.’ Sir Robert last week urged staff to make their voices heard in the review, the findings of which are expected to be published November. He will be looking at ways to protect staff who speak out in future, which could include having allegations judged by independent regulators, and helping whistleblowers find jobs elsewhere. But one nurse who was banned from the profession for going undercover to expose poor care says she doubts the review will help more staff to speak out. Margaret Haywood was struck off and then reinstated to the nursing register after secretly filming the neglect of older patients for the BBC’s Panorama programme in 2005.
‘I wonder if these measures will actually work in practice,’ Ms Haywood told Nursing Standard. ‘I hope they do, but I can’t see it happening really as the NHS is a closed shop and staff will still be afraid of speaking out.’ A confidential survey will also be sent to all NHS employees asking if they are aware of their workplace whistleblowing policy, and if they have ever raised a concern themselves. Roger Kline, director of Patients First, a network of health professionals who have raised concerns about poor care, said matters would not improve unless the NHS acknowledged there was a ‘serious bullying problem’ present in some organisations. An RCN survey of more 2,000 nurses last year revealed one in five said they were being bullied by their managers. Staff have until September 10 to share their views. Go to http://freedomtospeakup.org.uk
100 years to the day: candlelit vigil at Westminster Abbey
GETTY IMAGES
A ceremony attended by nurses marking the centenary of the outbreak of the first world war was held at Westminster Abbey last week. The solemn night-time service marked 100 years to the day since prime minister Herbert Asquith announced a declaration of war against Germany. Among the nurses to attend the service were members of the RAF medical reserves from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire (pictured). Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps nurse education adviser major Debra Ritsperis read a passage from the Book of Lamentations.
NURSING STANDARD :: vol 28without no 50permission. :: 2014 7 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Jul 25, 2016. For personal use august only. No13 other uses Copyright © 2016 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
Share your news with us – email [email protected], call +44 (0)20 8872 3144 or @NScomment
Stafford Hospital witness to advise NHS Freedom to Speak Up review By Kat Keogh
@katkeogh
The nurse who exposed appalling treatment of patients at Stafford Hospital has been enlisted as an adviser to a major review into NHS whistleblowing. Helene Donnelly was a key witness at the second public inquiry held by Sir Robert Francis QC into care failings at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. She will now advise Sir Robert as he leads the Freedom to Speak Up review, which is calling on nurses and other NHS staff to share their experiences of raising concerns. The review, commissioned by health secretary Jeremy Hunt earlier this year, will look at ways to end the ‘climate of fear’ and support staff to raise concerns without recrimination. Ms Donnelly was appointed ambassador for cultural change last year by her employer Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent NHS Partnership Trust, where she helps staff raise concerns.
She said of the review: ‘This is an important and much needed opportunity to provide information about the barriers which currently exist and deter those with valid concerns from speaking out. ‘This must change and this review will provide answers to how this crucial change can begin to come about.’ Sir Robert last week urged staff to make their voices heard in the review, the findings of which are expected to be published November. He will be looking at ways to protect staff who speak out in future, which could include having allegations judged by independent regulators, and helping whistleblowers find jobs elsewhere. But one nurse who was banned from the profession for going undercover to expose poor care says she doubts the review will help more staff to speak out. Margaret Haywood was struck off and then reinstated to the nursing register after secretly filming the neglect of older patients for the BBC’s Panorama programme in 2005.
‘I wonder if these measures will actually work in practice,’ Ms Haywood told Nursing Standard. ‘I hope they do, but I can’t see it happening really as the NHS is a closed shop and staff will still be afraid of speaking out.’ A confidential survey will also be sent to all NHS employees asking if they are aware of their workplace whistleblowing policy, and if they have ever raised a concern themselves. Roger Kline, director of Patients First, a network of health professionals who have raised concerns about poor care, said matters would not improve unless the NHS acknowledged there was a ‘serious bullying problem’ present in some organisations. An RCN survey of more 2,000 nurses last year revealed one in five said they were being bullied by their managers. Staff have until September 10 to share their views. Go to http://freedomtospeakup.org.uk
100 years to the day: candlelit vigil at Westminster Abbey
GETTY IMAGES
A ceremony attended by nurses marking the centenary of the outbreak of the first world war was held at Westminster Abbey last week. The solemn night-time service marked 100 years to the day since prime minister Herbert Asquith announced a declaration of war against Germany. Among the nurses to attend the service were members of the RAF medical reserves from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire (pictured). Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps nurse education adviser major Debra Ritsperis read a passage from the Book of Lamentations.
NURSING STANDARD :: vol 28without no 50permission. :: 2014 7 Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Jul 25, 2016. For personal use august only. No13 other uses Copyright © 2016 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
