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Showing results for tags 'Speaking up'.
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News Article
Coronavirus: NHS nurses told 'lives would be made hell'
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Hospital nurses were told their "lives would be made hell" if they complained over conditions on a coronavirus ward, a union has claimed. Unison has raised a group grievance for 36 employees, most of them nurses, at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. It said staff on the Queen's Medical Centre ward were not trained properly, faced bullying for raising concerns and denied PPE "as punishment". The trust said the allegations were "very troubling". The union said the staff, which included nurses, senior nurses and healthcare assistants, volunteered to work on the hospital's only ward dealing with end-of-life coronavirus patients. It claimed they were not given any specialist training or counselling for dealing with dying patients and their grieving relatives. An anonymous member of staff described it as "incredibly stressful". Another worker said a board with everyone's record of sickness was put on display in a break room to intimidate staff. Dave Ratchford from Unison said: "This is absolutely shocking stuff. We're talking about a very high-performing team who fell foul of a culture that permits bullying and fails to address it" "Staff were told their lives would be made hell for complaining." Read full story Source: BBC News, 21 July 2020 -
Content Article
Psychological safety vlog (June 2020)
Claire Cox posted an article in Staff safety
In this vlog, Peter Ledwith, Safety Programme Manager reflects on the work that the Advancing Quality Alliance (AQuA) has carried out in direct response to the current and predicted conditions faced by frontline staff in health and care. Peter reflects on the Psychological Safety package that has been created in collaboration with Psychologica, which aims to develop psychologically safe environments to support effective staff wellbeing. -
Content Article
Podcast: Incident reporting
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Good practice
Richard Smith is a trained paramedic who now works as Head of Quality and Safety at Addenbrooks Hospital. In this interview with East England Ambulance Service General Broadcast, Richard talks about his recent paper on incident reporting in the ambulance service. He asks if we have a blame and fear-free culture when concerns are raised, the value of feedback and highlights the importance of reporting the positive incidents too. -
Content Article
Further serious patient safety incidents: why are staff still not being listened to when concerns are raised?
Anonymous posted an article in Whistle blowing
Due to COVID-19 and the safety issues the pandemic is highlighting, I have decided to write a sequel to my previous blog 'Dropped instrument, washed and immediately reused'. I am writing this because it recently came to my notice from colleagues that safety is once again being compromised in the same private hospital where my shifts were blocked after I reported a patient safety incident.- Posted
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Content Article
The right – and duty – of NHS staff to speak up
Hugh Wilkins posted an article in Whistle blowing
A blog from hub topic lead Hugh Wilkins on the recent messages from NHS England and NHS Improvement leaders reminding everyone, including those at board level, of the duty and right of staff to speak up about anything which gets in the way of patient care and their own wellbeing. Hugh highlights the real risk of reprisals against some staff who have raised concerns in the public interest, and points out that much needs to change before NHS staff can be sure that it is safe for them to speak up.- Posted
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Content Article
We all want a culture of speaking up, don’t we? So, why isn’t it happening?
Anonymous posted an article in Bullying and fear
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Effective speaking up arrangements protect patients and improve the experience of NHS workers. The guidance set out by Sir Robert Francis in his Freedom to Speak Up review, was to develop a more open and supportive culture that encourages staff to speak up about any issues of patient care, quality or safety. In this blog I want to explore why this hasn’t been happening in Trusts up and down the country, despite everyone wanting a safe culture to speak up, no more so than myself, a clinician who has a keen interest in patient and staff safety. Sir Robert Francis laid out six principles for Trusts to follow in his review of speaking up in NHS Trusts in 2015. I would like to reflect on the times when I have spoken up about patient safety issues and the responses I have had when I have raised them. I will use Francis’ six principles to frame the blog.- Posted
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News Article
Doctors warn ‘culture of fear’ in NHS could prevent whistleblowing
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Doctors have warned that a “culture of fear” in the NHS may prevent life-saving lessons being learned about COVID-19 after a leading hospital consultant emailed scores of staff saying those responsible for “leaks” would be found and fired. Dr Daniel Martin OBE, head of intensive care for serious infectious diseases at the Royal Free hospital, emailed a report to colleagues at the peak of the pandemic with a note claiming that the trust would “track any leaks to the media” and then “offer you the chance to post your P45 on Facebook for all to see.” The email, which described journalists at one respected newspaper as “parasites”, was sent to dozens of nurses and junior doctors. It has been examined by Liberty Investigates, the investigative journalism unit of the civil rights group Liberty, and the Guardian, after being shared by a recipient who said they found the language “intimidating”. Whistleblowers UK, the non-profit group, said it had been made aware of the email by a separate individual who was also concerned about its contents. The Royal Free London trust said the email was “badly worded” and did not reflect trust policy. However, the trust said it was an open and transparent organisation that “does everything it can to encourage our staff to raise concerns and, if necessary, whistleblow”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 22 June 2020 -
Content ArticleThe National Guardian's Office (NGO) published a summary of speaking up learning and actions in response to its review into the handling of speaking up cases at Whittington Health NHS Trust. The review, carried out at the end of last year, revealed encouraging areas of good practice. There were also areas of improvement recommended by the review that highlighted issues with the wording and application of the trust policy relating to speaking up, support and feedback to those who speak up, and the way in which the trust manages grievances. The review summary details the NGO’s findings and actions of the trust.
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Content Article
Deference to expertise: Making care safer (2017)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Good practice
Since the seminal report by the Institute of Medicine, To Err Is Human, was issued in 1999, significant efforts across the health care industry have been launched to improve the safety and quality of patient care. Recent advances in the safety of health care delivery have included commitment to creating high-reliability organisations (HROs) to enhance existing quality improvement activities. This article will explore key elements of the HRO concept of deference to expertise, describe the structural elements that support nurses and other personnel in speaking up, and provide examples of practical, evidence-based tools to help organizations support and encourage all members of the health care team to speak up. -
Content ArticleThis article, published in Drug Safety, Robust, argues that active cooperation and effective, open communication between all stakeholders is essential for ensuring regulatory compliance and healthcare product safety; avoiding the necessity for whistle-blowing; and, most essentially, meeting the transparency requirements of public trust.
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Content ArticleWhile healthcare workers fight on behalf of us all against COVID-19, they can still risk their jobs for blowing the whistle on dangerous practices and wrongdoing. In fact whistleblowing and the global crisis caused by COVID-19 are closely intertwined. We know from staff at whistleblower helplines that healthcare is the sector from which they get most calls. But it can be extremely difficult for healthcare staff to effectively report problems. In this blog, Professor Kate Kenny and Professor Marianna Fotaki discuss how drawing attention to wrongdoing and risks has long been a problem, forcing staff to become whistleblowers, often at high personal cost to themselves. However, healthcare whistleblowers need help to speak out, now more than ever now, when timely disclosures can help prevent major disasters. Building transparent and fit-for-purpose channels for disclosing and preventing wrongdoing is key for achieving this. Senior healthcare managers, politicians, and unions must also fight hard to be the voices of frontline healthcare staff who struggle to draw attention to serious issues they encounter at work.
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Content ArticleThis infographic by the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia gives practical advice on how to speak up if patient safety is compromised.
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Community Post
Resetting priorities for Safer Healthcare
Dr Akhil Sangal posted a topic in Leadership for patient safety
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Content ArticleOur NHS staff are doing fantastic work to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and keep essential services going – their hard work and dedication during this difficult time is remarkable. As the NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens made clear in his letter of 29 April 2020 to NHS chief executives, it is important to remind everyone of the duty – and right – of those who work in the NHS to speak up about anything which gets in the way of patient care and worker wellbeing. Hear what Prerana Issar, the first NHS Chief People Officer, has to say in her blog. See also our hub resources on Whistleblowing and Speak Up Guardians.
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Content ArticleThe coronavirus pandemic has sparked reports of NHS workers being warned, threatened or disciplined for speaking up about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing for coronavirus and similar worries raised in the care sector. It underlines the need for a shift in attitudes in UK workplaces to whistleblowers, underpinned by an overhaul of the law to afford them greater protection, according to Elizabeth Gardiner, the new chief executive of the whistleblowing charity, Protect, in this blog in the Guardian. "We’ve heard direct from some care sector workers who have been threatened with disciplinary aciton if they persist in raising concerns," says Elizabeth. "Whistleblowers are a safety valve – it’s everyone’s business to reveal dangerous working practices." “What we would like to see is a proactive duty on employers to protect whistleblowers from being victimised,” she says. “That would be the sort of cultural shift that we’re looking for.”
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Content ArticleFreedom to Speak Up Guardians are required to record all cases of speaking up that are raised to them.These guidelines are for Speak Up Guardians on what data they need to collect and the range of information that could be recorded for each case that you deal with.
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Content ArticleThe National Guardian’s Office (NGO) has been operational for four years. Following feedback on its performance, the NGO sets out how they are going to respond to this feedback in the coming year.
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Content ArticleNadia Whittome, an MP, went back to work in social care when the pandemic struck but was dismissed when she spoke out about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) faced by workers on the frontline. She recounts her experience in a blog to the Guardian.
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Content ArticleIn the summer of 2019, following a televised Panorama programme showing abusive care of people with learning disabilities and/or autism in Whorlton Hall (an independent hospital in the north of England), the Care Quality Commission (CQC) requested an independent review of its inspections of Whorlton Hall. Professor Glynis Murphy was appointed to conduct the review.
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Content ArticleFreedom to Speak Up Guardians are changing the conversation about what it means to speak up in health. With a network of over 1,100 guardians and champions in England, workers are being supported and positive actions are being taken as a result. Speaking up and listening up should be a natural part of our conversations with colleagues, managers and each other. In health, as in all sectors, the best leaders understand the importance of listening to workers who are the eyes and ears of an organisation. But in health it is even more crucial as speaking up can be a matter of life or death. A positive environment and a supportive culture are key elements of the NHS People Plan. The Freedom To Speak Up Index, a new metric taken from the NHS Annual staff survey, shows that a positive speaking up culture may be correlated with higher performing organisations. The National Guardian Freedom to Speak UP launched the 100 Voices campaign: to share the stories that describe the current reality of speaking up in health. This document highlights and shares best practice in speaking up. Some have been provided by Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, others by workers themselves. Within these pages you will hear a selection of voices. They describe their experiences of speaking up, the impact this has had and how it has led to positive change.
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News Article
NHS to pay £870,000 to whistleblower doctor who spoke out on patient safety
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A London NHS trust has been ordered to pay a leading heart doctor more than £870,000 after he was sacked for whistleblowing about safety concerns following a patient’s death. Dr Kevin Beatt, one of the UK’s most respected consultant cardiologists, was fired from Croydon Health Services in 2012 after reporting staff shortages, inadequate equipment and workplace bullying at the trust. The tribunal heard Dr Beatt’s dismissal “had a devastating effect on his career and his wellbeing”. He told the Evening Standard: “I was forced into a position where I lost my career for trying to highlight dangerous practices in the NHS. It has taken seven years to get to this point, which is just appalling. It has been a huge ordeal and I have the greatest sympathy for any whistleblower who has to go through something like this.” Read full story Source: Evening Standard, 11 March 2020 -
Content ArticleMedical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Putting patients first — listening to their own and their families’ concerns — can help eliminate medical errors altogether. A patient-centric approach encourages patients to communicate their ‘gut feelings’ when something seems wrong, thereby working to end the pervasive and dangerous culture of silence and fear in hospitals.
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News Article
NHS nurse sacked after warning increased workload on staff led to patient's death
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A senior NHS nurse was fired after warning the increased workload on her pressured staff had contributed to a patient’s death. Linda Fairhall, 60, had an unblemished record of almost 40 years’ service when she turned whistleblower at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS trust. In 2015 she raised concerns over a new requirement for district nurses to monitor patients’ prescriptions. She said it meant a sudden increase of around 1,000 extra visits a month for her hard-pressed team of 50 nurses with no extra resources. Over the next 10 months she reported 13 matters, alleging the health or safety of patients and staff was being or was likely to be put at risk. After a patient died in 2016 she claimed it may have been prevented if her concerns had been addressed. She told the trust’s care group director Julie Parks she wished to start the formal whistle-blowing procedure. Soon after she was suspended over allegations of potential gross misconduct relating to her leadership, and then sacked. Dr Henrietta Hughes, the UK’s national NHS guardian, said: “Workers who speak up should be thanked for doing so and the organisation should demonstrate they are taking action to address the issues raised.” North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust said it will appeal the decision. Read full story Source: The Mirror, 2 March 2020 -
Content Article
The lifecycle of the whistleblower (8 February 2020)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Whistle blowing
Roger Kline, Consultant on Workforce Culture, describes the “lifecycle” of a whisltleblower and the stages and steps they will go through. It's one many whistleblowers will recognise in part or in full. -
News Article
Approachable managers linked to better error reporting, analysis finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
There is a “strong association” between staff experience of senior management and whether an organisation acts on error reporting, exclusive analysis for HSJ of the staff survey data suggests. Analysis by health and social care charity Picker Institute examined statistical relationships between responses to staff survey questions regarding staff communication with managers and those relating to error reporting. The analysis, which included all trust types, looked at the relationships between statements such as “communication between senior managers and staff is effective” and “I know who the senior managers are here” to “When errors, near misses or incidents are reported, my organisation takes action to ensure they do not happen again” and other similar indicators. A high correlation to the questions does not categorically prove a direct causal relationship but the data suggested “strong associations”, Picker Institute chief statistician Steve Sizmur told HSJ. He said: “There are a number of strong associations in the latest staff survey data, to the extent that there is likely to be a link between staff experiences of senior management and their views about error reporting and whether the organisation addresses their concerns.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 27 February 2020
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