National Guardian Freedom to Speak Up: Annual report 2025/26

Summary

The Annual Report of the National Guardian’s Office (NGO) has today been laid before Parliament, highlighting the work of Freedom to Speak Up guardians and the NGO in the year to the end of March 2026.

The 2025/26 Annual Report summarises the achievements made by guardians in the previous 12 months in enabling and supporting staff across the NHS to speak up and thereby helping improve the quality and safety of care.

It will be the final NGO Annual Report published as the Office prepares to close following recommendations from the Dash Review. NGO responsibilities are moving to providers, with functions being aligned with other staff voice functions in NHS England, and oversight within the Care Quality Commission.

The Annual Report highlights the many activities that guardians have been involved in across the country in helping colleagues to continue to raise concerns and improve workplace culture.

Content

Between April and September 2025, the period for which latest figures were available, the report states that a total of 18,113 cases were raised with Freedom to Speak Up guardians. This is broadly consistent with the volume reported in the first half of 2024/25 (18,163), which suggests a continued willingness among workers to raise concerns.

Related reading on the hub:

• Speaking up for patient safety: A new interview series about raising concerns and whistleblowing