A regional daily editor has called for greater protection for whistleblowers after the “outing” of a health worker who raised concerns about his hospital’s practices.
Keith Harrison, editor of the Express & Star, Wolverhampton, spoke out after Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust named the medical professional, who had raised concerns about an unconventional cancer treatment, in a press release.
The release stated the whistleblower was under investigation for ‘serious misconduct’ about an unrelated matter on its website in response to media inquiries about revelations 55 patients were being given chemotherapy outside normal guidelines.
A separate statement by hospital clinicians claimed the whistleblower was facing legal action from two patients for poor practice.
The Francis Inquiry, held after the Mid-Staffordshire hospital scandal, urged the NHS to protect whistleblowers and encourage staff to speak out about their concerns.
The Express & Star chose to respect the whistleblower’s anonymity in its reporting of the Trust’s release, declining to name him.
Keith was quoted in the newspaper as saying: “Legitimate whistleblowers who seek anonymity should be protected and their claims investigated thoroughly.
“Lessons must clearly be learned from the Francis Inquiry if we are to have the transparency and scrutiny the NHS both deserves and needs.”
When asked for a comment by HTFP, the Trust referred to a statement on its website.
It reads: “We think it is clear that despite this case being investigated internally, externally and reviewed by the TDA & CQC, despite the confessed non-standard prescribing ceasing, despite the evidence of no significant harm (i.e. deaths or impaired survival or convincing evidence of excessive toxicity) that the whistle-blower refuses to accept the finding of all these bodies and continues to pursue this, having exhausted all appropriate professional channels, now via the press.
“This is highly damaging for patients (as evidenced by the documented feelings of the patients brought back for recall and review). The whistle-blower is clearly not acting in the best interests of the patients or the NHS, as the practice ceased six years ago, but instead he is pursuing his own agenda.”
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It sounds to me like the Express and Star is unable to recognise an aggrieved employee when it sees one, and is mainly interested in creating concern around the tests when actually, it sounds like there isn’t cause for concern.
It’s clear from the Hospital’s statement that the consultant has issues, which are now coming out through the media after internal wranglings. A shame the Express and Star are off target on this one.
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“Sideshow Cecil” is clearly unaware or reluctant to acknowledge that smearing is a classic employer response to whistleblowers. Keith Harrison is quite right to call for better protection of whistleblowers. The current Chief Executive at the Royal Wolverhampton, David Loughton CBE, was previously Chief Executive at Coventry, where whistleblower Dr Raj Mattu was mercilessly dragged through the mud after whistleblowing in patients’ interests. Over 200 counter-allegations were made against Raj Mattu, all dismissed by the GMC eventually, but he suffered for years under the pressure of repeated reprisals. It is all well documented. A good summary can be found here: http://drphilhammond.com/blog/2014/05/07/private-eye/medicine-balls-private-eye-issue-1364-2/ Readers might wish to note that David Loughton received his CBE for services to the NHS long after the persecution of Raj Mattu had been publicised. This tells you all you need to know about the NHS squirearchy’s real attitudes to whistleblowing, despite the hand wringing and lip service to encouraging whistleblowing. A report of an investigation into the Royal Wolverhampton’s treatment of another whistleblower Sandra Haynes-Kirkbright was completed months ago, but NHS chiefs are still sitting on it. One has to ask “Why?”. I hope “Sideshow Cecil” never has to suffer what many NHS whistleblowers have endured, simply for doing the decent thing.
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In statements in the Express and Star the Medical Director Dr Odum admits that this treatment should not have been given to the patients. These patients should have been told what went wrong in 2010. Chemotherapy is always harmful and takes lots of time to go for blood tests never mind sit and be on drips for days in hospital and have to be on chemo pumps for weeks on end. Who knows what the Trust told these patients, would you trust them?
So how was the cover up done for years and why was it so long? What else has happened at this hospital in cancer care, we have all seen the young breast cancer patient who had extensive surgery she should never have had.
Loughton thinks that Jeremy Hunt doesn’t care about whistle blowers, and looks like he might be right.
But all those patients given the wrong chemo that they did not need should be compensated.
Time for a public inquiry?
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Good to see some proper editors still out there, refusing to be manipulated and standing up for what’s right in the face of a cynical move by the health authority. More of this please, local press.
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