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Steve Turner

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Profile Information

  • First name
    Steve
  • Last name
    Turner
  • Country
    United Kingdom

About me

  • About me
    Registered general & mental health nurse prescriber with a background including clinical education & governance, social policy, and information technology. WhistleblowersUK Health spokesperson, and co-chair of the WBUK Healthcare Whistleblowing Focus Group
    Digital profile: https://linktr.ee/stevemedgov
  • Organisation
    Founder of Care Right Now CIC
  • Role
    Managing Director - Now retired

Recent Profile Visitors

15,703 profile views
  1. Content Article Comment
    Whilst I support the NHS staff survey I believe it is important to point out that it isn't fully anonymous and that this may influence whether or not people respond. It's labelled as 'anonymous', but results are reported at team/group level. As I understand it all findings are reported back to the Trust as an overall picture and by teams of 11 or more. So while individual responses aren't traceable back to a named person, the results are broken down and reported at team/directorate level. In a small team, even aggregated results could potentially allow managers to infer who said what. This does risk putting people off responding.
  2. Steve Turner started following The systemic silent killer – ending the stigma around whistleblowing: a blog by Steve Turner
  3. Content Article Comment
    I hope as many people as possible read, reflect, comment and join the debate. The arguments against an individual legal duty of candour in healthcare are mostly invalid in my view. The subject is often deliberately avoided by people in power, possibly because people know the arguments against it are so weak. I used to cover this in my pre and post graduate teaching on accountability & was always shocked at how little professionals knew about the subject and its history.
  4. Content Article
    More information about "Why patient safety demands a Hillsborough Law with a legal duty of candour for all health and care professionals"
    More than three decades after the preventable death of 10-year-old Robbie Powell, the UK still does not have a legal mechanism to hold individual clinicians accountable for dishonesty. This evidence-based opinion piece from Steve Turner argues that an ethical code of conduct is not sufficient to ensure accountability and that an individual legal duty of candour is essential for patient safety. It makes the link between Hillsborough Law and Robbie's Law. No legal duty to tell the truth More than three decades after the preventable death of 10-year-old Robbie Powell and the subsequent cover-up by medical professionals, the UK still does not have a legal mechanism to hold individual clinicians accountable for dishonesty. The proposed Hillsborough Law[1]—which seeks to establish an individual legal duty of candour on public officials—must include all health and care professionals: managers, leaders and frontline clinicians alike. Anything less would be an affront to patient safety and public trust. The heart breaking story of Robbie Powell, who died in 1990 due to multiple clinical failings has long been a call to action for legal reform.[2] His case, meticulously documented and campaigned for by his family, exposed how doctors could mislead families and official inquiries without legal consequence.[3] The European Court of Human Rights ruling on Robbie’s case made it chillingly clear: there is no individual legal duty of candour on doctors.[4] The media aptly dubbed it “a doctor’s right to lie".[5] This remains true today. A conspiracy of silence? The Robbie Powell case predates Hillsborough. It is the landmark case on duty of candour and yet it receives little attention in the press and media. It was referred to by Sir Robert Francis in the report on the failings at Mid Staffordshire,[6] and the significance of the Robbie Powell case was a factor in the collapse of the 2021 trials of former police officers and a solicitor involved in the Hillsborough disaster.[7] After Hillsborough, the Robbie Powell case, through its influence on the concept of 'duty of candour', played a role in the broader discussions around transparency and accountability in public life. Because there was (and still is) no individual statutory duty of candour on police officers or public officials, the legal framework makes it easier to defend against allegations of dishonesty or misconduct, even when unethical behaviour was clear. That such a crucial legal precedent draws so little public attention is telling. It highlights how deeply entrenched the culture of denial and protection is, not only in policing but across public institutions—including the NHS and the whole of health and social care. The argument against legally enforced accountability Some clinicians argue that a statutory duty is unnecessary. In fact, in 1998 a BMA spokesperson publicly defended this view, claiming that "the ethics of this are rather more important than the law" and a strict legal framework would be "unhelpful".[8] Sadly, history proves otherwise. In a parallel situation on public accountability, the Post Office scandal,[9], where countless subpostmasters were failed by Post Office leaders and managers who stayed silent, showed the cost of misplaced institutional loyalty. Healthcare has its own shameful examples, including the Infected Blood Scandal[10], the widespread mistreatment of people with autism and learning disabilities, and shocking failures highlighted in multiple reports and other systemic scandals examined in the Thirwall[11] and Lampard[12] inquiries. Again and again, professionals have failed to speak out—and when they do, they are often ignored and even blacklisted.[13] This is not a question of bad apples; it is a systemic failure of accountability. Without a legal duty of candour that applies to individuals, there is no deterrent to dishonesty and no justice for those harmed by it. Regulatory bodies have repeatedly proven they are not enough. Time to act: Hillsborough Law incorporating Robbie’s Law now A Hillsborough Law that excludes clinicians from individual accountability would betray the very purpose of the legislation. It would ignore the hard lessons from decades of cover-ups, including the tireless efforts of Robbie Powell’s family to expose the truth. We cannot afford to continue a system where telling the truth is optional, and silence carries no consequence. Patient safety depends on truthfulness. And truthfulness must be enforceable—not merely expected. References UK Parliament. Public Authority (Accountability) Bill ‘Hillsborough Law’, 2017 (accessed 28.07.2025). Robbie's Law – Telling the truth in healthcare. The campaign for an individual legal duty of candour, 2025 (accessed 28.07.2025). Hartles S. ‘Robbie Powell: Time for Truth, Justice and Accountability’. The Open University, Harm & Evidence research collaborative., 2025 (accessed 28.07.2025). European Court of Human Rights (45305/99) (4th May 2000) – (Third Section) – Decision – POWELL v. THE UNITED KINGDOM (accessed 28.07.2025). Hammond P. Robbie’s Law – Telling the truth about medical harm. Private Eye: Medicine Balls 1332, 2013. (accessed 28.07.2025). UK Government. Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry. London: The Stationary Office, 2013 (accessed 28.07.2025). Conn D. Hillsborough families attack ‘ludicrous’ acquittals of police. The Guardian, 26 May 2021 (accessed 28.07.2025). Powell W. Duty of Candour [Robbie's Law]. Relevant section at 9.09. Channel 4 News, 24th April 1998 (accessed 28.07.2025). Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, 2025 (accessed 28.07.2025). Infected Blood Inquiry, 2025 (accessed 28.07.2025). Thirwall Inquiry (accessed 28.07.2025). The Lampard Inquiry is an independent statutory inquiry investigating the deaths of mental health inpatients in Essex between 2000 and 2023 (accessed 28.07.2025). Turner S. The systemic silent killer – ending the stigma around whistleblowing in healthcare. 2023 (accessed 28.07.2025). This article was first posted on LinkedIn and has been edited for the hub: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-patient-safety-demands-hillsborough-law-legal-duty-steve-turner-0jgue/?trackingId=cK7GxZXtgvMnt%2FcnwYYCyw%3D%3D
  5. Content Article Comment
    Great news. NHS Sussex reviewed the situation and as a result the surgery has had a reprieve. The procurement process has been restarted. This decision by NHS Sussex is a victory for patient involvement and has implications nationally. Extract from NHS Sussex press release: 'It follows receiving the national Independent Patient Choice and Procurement Panel’s report regarding the proposed contract award for an alternative provider medical services (APMS) primary care service in the area. The Independent Panel’s findings confirm that NHS Sussex’s preparations for the procurement were in line with the national Provider Selection Regime (PSR) but found that there were four areas in terms of how it carried out the process that were not line with these rules. As a conclusion, the Panel recommended going back to an earlier stage in the procurement process (to the publication of a new contract notice and issuance of ITT documentation) to address the issues identified by the Panel. '
  6. Content Article
    A Brighton GP surgery is under threat despite providing excellent services and strong links to the local community. This decision flies in the face of the proven 'social value' being delivered and potentially puts patients at risk. The reasons are presented in this excellent article which exposes the continued 'race to the bottom' due to an apparently unnecessary tendering exercise, a decision made behind closed doors and a failure to consult. Quote from Polly Toynbee's article in the Guardian: "Here’s the puzzle. Andrew Lansley’s calamitous system that opened the NHS to “any willing provider” to compete for contracts was supposedly swept away in 2022, replaced with ICBs that strove for cooperation across all NHS and social services in England. Yet some ICBs still apply the old competitive impulse to NHS services, even though they now have an obligation to ensure that tenders help to reduce inequalities."
  7. Content Article
    "Our #health system in the UK is in a mess. It has failed to modernise (by this I mean to become fully accountable to #patients and the public, and truly patient-led). Instead, the system has become more and more hierarchical, bureaucratic and crony ridden, mostly as a result of constant meddling and pointless reorganisations instigated by politicians. All political parties in government for the past 30 years have had a hand in this decline." This is my view? What is yours? A new Inquiry gives us all an opportunity to have our say. I am proud to have worked in and for the NHS for most of my working life; proud to have been trained in the #NHS and proud of the work being carried out by clinical teams today. Great work which has benefited patients, often not because of the leadership but despite of the leadership. I'm retired so I can say what I like. If I were working and said anything even vaguely like criticism, however constructive it was, I would be out of a job and my career would be blighted for life. I'm speaking from experience here, unfortunately. I urge everyone to respond to the consultation (link below). In your response think forensically and write it as a statement of truth. Acknowledge the successes and areas that have delivered safe and effective services. If you are being critical give examples and say if it is an opinion or back up what you say with evidence. If we work together across boundaries we can develop a truly patient-led NHS.
  8. Article Comment
    Was there an Assertive Outreach Service involved? Many areas no longer have these.
  9. Article Comment
    This is interesting and important, Rob Behrens (PHSO) reminded us all of the Messenger Review in the APPG for Whistleblowing Westminster Round Table Meeting in November 2023. It's a step forward, but we need to be vigilant, this could easily fall into the pile of endless reviews that lead to nowhere. Senior people's jobs and reputations are at risk, they will fight like mad to protect their positions and (as we see with the Post Office scandal) they will lie.
  10. Content Article Comment
    Time to act. Time to actually learn lessons. Time to change the law to protect patients. Time to join the dots and prevent further tragedies. There is an opportunity to link the planned inquiry, which I agree must be a statutory inquiry, to the current government review of the whistleblowing framework: framework: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-whistleblowing-framework/review-of-the-whistleblowing-framework-terms-of-reference
  11. Article Comment
    This tragic case highlights the urgent need for independent external scrutiny of #whistleblowing and a change in the law to protect the public interest. The Protection for Whistleblowing Bill introduces an #Officeofthewhistleblower to help prevent events like this, where people blew the whistle & were silenced. The Pediatricians raised the alarm and were bullied and threatened with referral to the GMC. Current whistleblowing legislation - the Public Interest Disclosure Act [#PIDA] - fails everyone, #patients, relatives, clinicians, #healthcare staff, & the public. The Protection for Whistleblowing Bill [Hl] which passed its second reading in December 2022, proposes the repeal of the current Public Interest Disclosure Act [PIDA], replacing it with an Office of the Whistleblower [OWB]. This would prevent concerns of genuine healthcare whistleblowers becoming buried under an employment issue, and their original patient safety concerns being side-lined. PIDA is expensive, limited in scope and beyond the reach of most whistleblowers. PIDA is also overly complex, with cases currently waiting for over 2 years to be heard. Employers game the system to run whistleblowers out of funds. Fewer than 12% of cases that go to the Employment Tribunal win. PIDA does not protect patients and is not accessible to members of the public who blow the whistle. Currently there is no statutory provision to investigate or address the wrongdoing highlighted by whistleblowers. Many whistleblowers have been denied any protection because they are not workers. This Protection for Whistleblowing Bill Delivers: · Protection for EVERY citizen who is, has been or is perceived to be a whistleblower and those associated with the whistleblower. · Mandatory minimum standards for policies and procedures and Investigations of protected disclosures. · A new judicial process for deciding disputes arising from whistleblowing. · Significant fines and penalties for individuals and organisations that discriminate or retaliate against whistleblowers. · Dedicated helplines, Education and Support for the Public and Organisations and an ongoing Public Awareness Campaign to ensure that every citizen knows their rights and how to access them. I urge everyone with an interest to read the Bill itself and decide on your position based on the facts. For accurate info. on the Protection for #Whistleblowing Bill read it here: https://t.co/mIE77bjNTV
  12. Content Article
    This YouTube playlist containing 12 short vlogs (each lasting 10 minutes or less) is a cut-down version of Continuing Professional Development work commissioned by the NHS in England. These are part of our patient led clinical education work and involved working with patients, carers, and relatives as equals to produce the videos. These vlogs are based on the (UK) Royal Pharmaceutical Society Competency Framework for all Prescribers, and related guidelines from professional bodies in the UK. They are designed for clinicians (across all disciplines and specialities), patients, carers, parents, relatives and the public.  The short videos focus on providing refresher information, updates on hot topics and materials that can be used for reflection both individually and within clinical teams.  They cover: Shared decision making Information mastery Interpretation of numerical data Root causes on medicines and prescribing errors Taking a history Basic pharmacology Risk areas and red flags Ethics, the law and prescribing Deprescribing Remote prescribing Prescribing for frailty and multimorbidity Prescription writing and safe prescribing The original materials were accompanied by live sessions, questions for reflection (some of which are included here), separate refresher questions, detailed prescribing scenarios, and competency assessments.  
  13. Content Article Comment
    This important report highlights the #patientsafety minefield that exists in the UK. It is characterised by a fragmented system with both overlaps and gaps, plus very few opportunities for inter-disciplinary / inter-organisational learning. Featuring: - A Patient Safety Commissioner whose remit is limited to medicines and medical devices - A plethora of organisations that 'don't investigate individual concerns' (including Healthwatch and the Patient Safety Commissioner) - A lack of genuine patient involvement - A lack of ownership and leadership at the top #share4safety #health #healthcare #nhs #socialcare
  14. Content Article Comment
    I'm a nurse. I believe in the principle of 'do no harm' So I don't support this initiative in its current form and advise people to take care if they are thinking of talking to the local guardian. They may be able to help, or they may make the situation worse. It depends on their employer. The introduction of the National Guardian Office and Freedom to Speak Up Guardians in each NHS trust is problematic. This initiative has an inbuilt conflict of interest, as the Guardians are employed by the trusts themselves. Whistleblowers who have been failed by local Guardians have shared their experiences that included the disclosure of their identity to hospital management and boards, which resulted in retaliation. I also know of Local Guardians who were not supported and themselves the target of retaliation after supporting whistleblowers. In addition, the National Guardian Office appears to studiously avoid the word ‘#whistleblowing’ in its material and outputs wherever possible. This adds to the stigma around healthcare whistleblowers and is inexcusable. This potential for harm because the Guardians are employed by the trusts is a #patientsafety issue and something that the National Guardian Office should be addressing. Instead, the NG Office seems impossible to engage, with unless you agree 100% with their views and become one of their 'cheerleaders'. Patients deserve better.
  15. Content Article Comment
    What concerns me most about this, far from uncommon, story is the #leadership aspect. There's always been challenges for #healthcare leaders. Challenges when there are widely different perspectives on a situation, when there is ambiguity, when there is disagreement on approaches, when different staff groups and professions have strong views etc. This needs strong and accountable leaders from the top down. Leaders who can negotiate across what is often a 'minefield'. Leaders who support and mentor those who work for them. Leaders who recognize that reputation is judged by what an organization actually does, NOT by what it says it does. Leaders who are prepared to challenge those who set the strategy, and those in power who feel they are 'untouchable'. Leaders who avoid micromanaging, even when they themselves are being micromanaged. Leaders who treat and value everyone as equals, from the cleaner to the SoS for Health. Leaders who are in their posts because they believe that the #NHS 'belongs to the people'
  16. Content Article Comment
    A useful document from the DHSC. It contains vital information for NHS leaders, board members and educators. One anomaly stands out, however. The report lists one of the 'substantial measures' introduced in the last decade as 'legal protection for whistleblowers'. I'm at a loss to know what these improved legal measures are?

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