Health Authority's Strategic Approach to Dismantle Medical Professionals Speaking Out on Patient Welfare Issues

In the National Health Service (NHS), many healthcare professionals have faced repercussions for speaking up about patient safety concerns. A Telegraph investigation has revealed a pattern of punitive measures reminiscent of the Post Office's treatment of its employees during the Horizon IT scandal.

One such case involves Martyn Pitman, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, who was placed under an MHPS probe for raising concerns about maternity care. He was warned that the investigation could take between six and 18 months.

Healthcare professionals have been subjected to investigations, law-fare, and potential career and life threats. Some have faced financial, personal, and professional pressure, with many reporting depression and suicidal thoughts.

In addition to referrals to the General Medical Council (GMC), institutions have failed to tick the box when referring doctors to the GMC, stating they are whistleblowers. In some cases, whistleblowers have had their annual leave allowance reduced and been given extra workloads.

The MHPS investigation process, which is supposed to take six weeks, often lasts much longer. Some whistleblowers have been offered a way out by signing non-disclosure agreements, allowing them to return to work if they agree to stay quiet about their concerns.

Aside from GMC referrals and MHPS investigations, hospitals and clinics can employ a suite of punishments to silence doctors or force them out if they dare to raise concerns about patient safety. For instance, nineteen whistleblower doctors were suspended, sixteen were dismissed, and fifteen were demoted.

Two consultant anaesthetists who raised concerns claim they were instructed to reapply for their positions as educational supervisors, despite having over 10 years' experience, and were replaced by junior consultants. Sixteen were inappropriately referred to psychological or psychiatric services. Five were victims of vexatious referrals to the police, social services, and HM Revenue and Customs, with each found to have no case to answer.

The NHS's culture of fear and cover-ups has been a significant factor in preventing healthcare professionals from speaking out during the COVID-19 era. During this period, the NHS targeted at least 50 healthcare professionals who raised concerns about patient deaths and poor care, with many facing disciplinary action, suspension, or dismissal.

Despite these concerns, there is no evidence from the provided search results that the NHS took any actions in 2024 to suppress whistleblowers advocating for patient safety, nor how doctors and nurses were prevented from making their complaints public. The search results do not address this topic specifically.

Serryth Colbert, a maxillofacial surgeon, described the MHPS process as keeping doctors "walking on the cliff-edge threatening to push you over". The NHS bosses spent millions of pounds of taxpayer money on law firms and investigators to harass and target healthcare whistleblowers.

Of the 52 medics interviewed, 45 reported being victims of victimisation, harassment, discrimination, bullying, or intimidation after blowing the whistle. The ongoing issue of silencing whistleblowers in the NHS remains a significant concern for healthcare professionals and the public alike.