The role that the NHS organisations play in supporting staff who raise concerns about the quality of care and patient safety issues as well as bullying and harassment from others, was a key insight within Sir Robert Francis’ investigations following the failures at Mid Staffs Hospital. The Clinical Services Journal’s technical editor, Kate Woodhead RGB, DMS, reports.
Sir Robert Francis’ report, among many other recommendations, called for a fundamentally different culture in the NHS. A further report was commissioned on the ‘Freedom to Speak Up’, has gone some way to changing the culture of fear and blame which led to many difficulties in healthcare in the past.
The request of Sir Robert Francis, by the Secretary of State for Health in England, was to identify measures that would foster a culture in the NHS in England where staff can feel safe to speak out about patient safety, as well as learning lessons from the existing culture in NHS by listening to those who have experiences to share, both positive and negative.
The review reported some years ago in sections grouped under five themes.1 They were: culture change; improved handling of cases; particular measures for vulnerable groups; and extending the legal protection. This article will look at some specific aspects of the changing culture and how they are implemented as well as the role of the Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
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