I returned from holiday in South Africa only to find on my first day back in the office that my recharged battery drained very quickly. First day back is always a shock but this time it included an invitation to talk on Radio 5 Live with the Patients Association between 11 pm and midnight.
Radio 5 Live was not the only media wanting to talk about the events in Staffordshire. How could a trust that had gained foundation status in February 2006 be subject to a full blown Healthcare Commission investigation the very next month? How could such appalling standards of care not only have taken place but why were they not picked up? Is this an indictment of government targets? And so the questions and debate went on, and on, and on!
The trouble is that the issues are not particularly unique, although the scale of the problems might have taken some by surprise. And then only a few days later the Healthcare Commission publishes yet another critical report, this time about Birmingham’s specialist children services. More press to deal with.
Welcome back to the real world and the NHS, I thought. And full marks to those doctors who did their duty to their patients and the profession by putting their concerns above self-preservation. It is difficult to defend the indefensible; £60k paid by a government minister to fund a ‘second home’ owned by his parents or a meagre few quid taken by a cabinet minister from the public purse to fund a dodgy film on digital TV.
But what about the injustices within the NHS? Surely, the caring profession should be managed by those who care for their patients and staff. My experience is that there are some trust managements that do; but there are too many examples of management by fear and victimisation.
I gather blogs are meant to be provocative and make no apology for raising the intimidatory culture of some trusts as an issue. Am I alone in being worried by this? I don’t think so given the number of my members who ask for HCSA advice everyday, and personally seeing what can and does happen on the shop floor. What really worries me are those who want to highlight their concerns but are afraid to do so, or are not even protected by membership of a trade union.
Where I come across poor quality standards of patient care and intimidatory management I defend my members to the hilt. Is the challenge of dealing with this culture of fear and intimidation on your agenda too? I hope so; doctors must stand up and be counted but only with the benefit of good and professional advice. The challenge for me is to advise members how to deal with this issue, and to encourage membership of a trade union to such an extent that I do not just need, but deserve, a holiday!
Tags: Whistleblowing
