30/06/2026: Health and Social Care: Why Duty of Candour Matters
On Tuesday 30th June from 6pm-8pm we held our Health and Social Care event: “Why Duty of Candour Matters”, in the Palace of Westminster. The event graciously hosted by Cat Smith MP and chaired by Seamus Logan MP, a man who knows from his career in the NHS that things must change and supports proposals for an Office of the Whistleblower announced that he would be taking steps to resurrect the APPG for Whistleblowing in September. This provided the backdrop for an electric discussion between the whistleblowers, parliamentarians and health workers in the room. Commentary focused heavily on the legacy of the Frances Review (2015) that resulted in the introduction of Freedom to Speak Up and ‘Duty of Candour’ in the NHS and why so many people now support the establishment of an Office of the Whistleblower as the next step to bring about the changes that put patient safety first.
The evening kicked off proper with a presentation from Professor Dr Steve Bolsin. He gave us insight into his journey as the doctor at the heart of the Bristol heart scandal. Steve shared how he blew the whistle on incompetent surgery practices, and as a result was not only forced out of his job but forced out of the country relocating to a grateful Australia where his career has flourished. Steve set out why he supports WhistleblowersUK and our proposals for an Office of the Whistleblower. He also expressed frustration with the lack of progress by every government since the 1990’s for failing to protect whistleblowers and ignoring the whistleblowers who put their careers and lives on the line to protect their patients.
His message was clear how many more avoidable deaths or suicides of medical professionals does it take for Parliament to say enough?!
Bernie Rochford MBE, an NHS Freedom to Speak Up Guardian shared a map of the explained the ridiculously and convoluted bureaucracy that she was confronted with, with no less than 80 layers of management and organisational bodies. She condemned the absence of a professional and accessible infrastructure within the health sector that leaves whistleblowers from the public and private sector isolated and without support at a time when it is most needed. Bernie not only supported the OWB but provided a workable vision for the future success of the NHS setting out steps to improve not only the whistleblowing landscape, but the broader health sector as a whole.
The room listened in shocked silence to Alexandra Williams and another whistleblower sharing the violation of residents and patients and their ongoing fight for justice for these victims of crimes and for themselves. Real David v Goliath fights where despite criminal convictions and regulatory sanctions those responsible have shamelessly sought to silence them using thousands of £’s of taxpayers money to shut them down. Their stories of the abuse of the most vulnerable in our society are demonstrations of why our whistleblowing framework is so mistrusted and why so many people suffer from what Doctors Association UK called “bystander syndrome”.
The Politicians in the room were visibly shocked and moved by these and other accounts. It came as no surprise to the whistleblowers to learn that some of the Parliamentarians had not stepped up to support their constituents were absent.
Slide 1 – Care worker and Whistleblower Alexandra Williams with Michelle Scrogham MP.
Slide 2: Anna Dixon MP Shipley, Georgina Halford-Hall WBUK, Michelle Scrogham MP Barrow and Furness.
Slide 3: Attendees of last night’s panel.
Dr Peter Harvey co-chair of WBUK Health and Social Care group, was our final formal speaker of the evening highlighting the elephant in the room – the cost of silence! Peter highlighted the £3.6billion spent on settling over 13,000 clinical negligence claims, and around £60billion set aside by the NHS for settling medical negligence claims.
Bernie Rochford reminded the room that even after years of asking, the Department for Health STILL does not capture the spend on litigation for whistleblowing – we asked the Parliamentarians present to take this question up with the minister.
Peter who supports whistleblowers as head of our Peer2Peer support group shared how time and again upon whistleblowers are told that the reputation of the trust or care home was more important than the staff or patient or resident safety. Peter summarised his vision:
Office of the Whistleblower stating it would; hold people accountable, stop vexatious claims from being made, and allow whistleblowers to get a sense of justice.
The event concluded with a broader discussion on the need for a seismic culture shift within the health sector and broader institutions, to create workplaces where no one is afraid to speak up and concerns are not suppressed. It was agreed that an Office of the Whistleblower would be a great contribution to improving culture not only through the support it would give whistleblowers, but also through deterrence, by demonstrating that real punitive measures will be taken against employers who retaliate against whistleblowers.
Attendees of yesterdays panel event including Lord Cromwell, Seamus Logan MP and Michelle Scrogham MP
WhistleblowersUK sincerely thanks every speaker and participant in our panel and wider discussions. It was a truly impactful evening that we hope will stimulate further conversation on legislative change for the health sector and all whistleblowers.
If you work in the health and social care sector and would like advice about speaking up or blowing the whistle please press the Help Me button on our website www.wbuk.org or contact Protect 02031172520 – Information from both organisations is free and confidential.
