Ian Austin – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2015-02-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to Freedom to speak up?, the report by Sir Robert Francis QC, published on 11 February 2015, what timescale he has set for NHS trusts to appoint whistleblowing guardians.

Dr Daniel Poulter

On 11 February, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State accepted in principle all the recommendations made by Sir Robert Francis following his Freedom to Speak Up review. We will shortly be consulting on how best to implement these recommendations. In addition we plan to bring forward measures to provide legislative protection for whistleblowers applying for a job in the National Health Service. With Opposition support, this could be in place before Parliament is prorogued.

The implementation of Sir Roberts’ recommendations will see a programme of action to help foster an open and learning culture in the NHS backed by local freedom to speak up guardians and a new national whistleblowing guardian. Individual trusts may wish to begin implementing some of these recommendations right away. Local action and responsibility will be at the heart of bringing about a culture where reporting of concerns is valued and encouraged.