NHS staff who have concerns about patient care will be able to access a new, free whistleblowing help line from the 1 January, Health Secretary Andrew announced today.
The helpline will be available to staff and employers in social care as well as the NHS, via a now-free phone service. The helpline, that will be Government funded, is part of the current Government’s commitment to tackle what it poor practice within the NHS and social care there will also be a contractual duty of employees to raise concerns where they beleive there is poor care introduced in a a new NHS Constitution.
The Department of Health, Minister Andrew Lansley said of the scheme:
“Staff on the frontline know when patient services need to improve. That’s why staff who blow the whistle are crucial in helping to raise standards, and we’re determined to support them. Making it easier for staff to challenge the institutional power of organisations is a key factor in preventing, identifying and tackling pockets of culturally poor practice. That’s why we’ve created a help line service for concerned staff, which, from 1 January, will be completely free and available to those in the NHS and social care sector.
The Government is also looking to provide a web-based service where employees can raise their concerns over poor practice this will be announced later in 2012.
Related articles
- New NHS whistleblowers help line (bbc.co.uk)
- Four in five doctors says NHS cuts are affecting patient care (dailymail.co.uk)
- Response: NHS whistleblowers must be protected or there will be more deaths (guardian.co.uk)
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