Would you whistleblow?
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Medicolegal
Would you whistleblow?
Discuss and get advice on medicolegal issues
Whistleblowers. What do you think of them? Snitches who don't deserve the time of day from their colleagues? Or heroes who initiate change? Jeremy Laurance asks in today's Independent why mo
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Cat:OpenClinicalForum:c6963658-39d5-4313-a273-eef75ea388e7Discussion:1d01994d-48a4-4734-aeae-9a81b9438560
Forums » Open clinical » Medicolegal » Would you whistleblow?
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Re: Would you whistleblow?
posted at 17/7/2011 1:42 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 44
First: 27/4/2011 Last: 3/8/2011 |
In Response to Re: Would you whistleblow?: No! As student no way. As much as people try and promote an equal playing ground etc it just isn't. Sometimes even questioning consultants when you feel they aren't doing the right thing or following the correct practise is out of the question. A small example: before touching every patient hands should be washed - I have only met one reg that does this! Most wash after but not before. I have sometimes posed questions when I think someone may have done something wrong or forgotten (we are all human!). I was in surgery and I didn't realised that the light was sterile (they had used different covers which i had not seen before) but i thought it was important for me to check that the Reg hadn't forgotten, so I asked are they sterile and he said yes and explained the covers they had put on them. Now in this situation I had the guts to ask the question but only did so because I knew the reg wouldn't take offense. It is very difficult in the hospital setting to do this. If you upset a consult ,reg, FY1 and are stuck on their firm for another 8 weeks - i'm sure it isn't going to be pleasent. As students you are right at the bottom and as much as we are encouraged it just isn't viable to whistle blow. Posted by asma01 Whistleblowing is the covert expression of concern, and is generally done by people who fear that they might stand to suffer in some way if it were known that the expression of concern came from them. Whistleblowing is therefore most often done by the relatively less powerful members of an organization, against the more powerful people. It is very important, whatever your status in the organization, to be as certain as possible that your concerns are justified - as you might otherwise find yourselves walking the plank of defamation or libel. |
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Re: Would you whistleblow?
posted at 17/7/2011 10:37 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 682
First: 17/11/2008 Last: 19/5/2013 |
My daughter read out an article from a newspaper about whistle blowing at a care home in Bristol in which elderly people were tormented and pushed around. It made me feel that of course I would whistle blow in these circumstances because not to do so is inhumane. You would be less of a person for doing so. This however is clear cut. It is the less obvious example of imperfect care or systems failure, perhaps from within your own team that is harder. I am not sure that I agree that the whistle blower is less powerful as an individual within an organisation. But maybe they are more likely to be closer to patient care. |
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Re: Would you whistleblow?
posted at 17/7/2011 11:07 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 44
First: 27/4/2011 Last: 3/8/2011 |
In Response to Re: Would you whistleblow?: My daughter read out an article from a newspaper about whistle blowing at a care home in Bristol in which elderly people were tormented and pushed around. It made me feel that of course I would whistle blow in these circumstances because not to do so is inhumane. You would be less of a person for doing so. This however is clear cut. It is the less obvious example of imperfect care or systems failure, perhaps from within your own team that is harder. I am not sure that I agree that the whistle blower is less powerful as an individual within an organisation. But maybe they are more likely to be closer to patient care. Posted by luisad If the whistleblower were not less powerful he/she would beard the lion directly.
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Re: Would you whistleblow?
posted at 3/1/2012 1:48 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1444
First: 7/4/2011 Last: 21/5/2013 |
The NHS have just launched a helpline for staff to report inadequate patient care. Will this improve reporting of poor care? Would you use it if you wanted to whisteblow? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16361094 |
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You are obliged to whistleblow
posted at 3/1/2012 4:07 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 959
First: 15/7/2011 Last: 21/5/2013 |
If you Vote NO, that you would never whistleblow then you could be on a sticky wicket if you come across any of the above. Some might argue complicit. |
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Re: Would you whistleblow?
posted at 3/1/2012 7:02 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2044
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 21/5/2013 |
The circumstances listed by the GMC are barn-door cases. They ignore the far greater problem of how to blow the whistle on an institution. From the Bristol babies to the Mid-Staffs debacle, people working in the unit or hospital were dragged down below an acceptable standard, slowly, until they were not aware that there was anything wrong. It took outsiders to see that. |
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Re: Would you whistleblow?
posted at 3/1/2012 9:03 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 959
First: 15/7/2011 Last: 21/5/2013 |
In Response to Re: Would you whistleblow?: The circumstances listed by the GMC are barn-door cases. They ignore the far greater problem of how to blow the whistle on an institution. From the Bristol babies to the Mid-Staffs debacle, people working in the unit or hospital were dragged down below an acceptable standard, slowly, until they were not aware that there was anything wrong. It took outsiders to see that. John Posted by John D They sadly should be barn door cases. I can say from experience that they very often are not. It frequently comes to some horrible crunch episode before staff or fellow Doctors when interviewed admit that they were aware of a Doctors, e.g. drink problem, 'over fiendly' approach to dertain females etc but they say things like 'It was common knowledge that Dr so and so was a heavy drinker or was known for his her very poor care of patients. BRI problems came to light largely by an anesthetist who worked there (and now lives and works abroad). It must be quite difficult in reality for very junior members of a team to speak out, yet that is what they are supposed to do. |
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Re: Would you whistleblow?
posted at 4/1/2012 3:05 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1283
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 21/5/2013 |
If peoples lives were at stake Yes, The first order of business for any Doctor, or health care professional is Primum non nocere - First Do No Harm! and if by our inaction we are causing harm, then we must by default Whistleblow! Sometimes the bravest action to take is to simply do what is right DuaneF |
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Re: Would you whistleblow?
posted at 6/1/2012 2:57 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 682
First: 17/11/2008 Last: 19/5/2013 |
The experience of Nurse101 is sadly what seems to happen to whistleblowers. When the culture is not one where opennes is encouraged and every defect is a treasure as my old boss used to say, then you will be met with hositlity. I do hope that within the NHS a system to encourage but above all to protect people can be maintained as there have been so many reports of substandard care that there needs to be a cultural shift to stop this care being tolerated, |
Forums » Open clinical » Medicolegal » Would you whistleblow?
