AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/whistleblowing
Whistleblowing
Raising concerns, speaking up
Whistleblowing is reporting wrongdoing or a risk to patients at work.
Summary
- In the NHS it is usually called raising concerns or speaking up.
- The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects workers who do it from being dismissed or penalised.
- Doctors have a professional duty to raise concerns about patient safety.
- Every NHS trust in England has a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, a role created after the Francis review of 2015.
Interview questions
- You are worried that a senior colleague is putting patients at risk. What do you do?
- Why do some staff stay silent when they see poor care?
- What do you know about the consultants who raised concerns about Lucy Letby?
Practise answering these with a mentor
Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.
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More NHS hot topics, medical ethics case studies and medical school interview questions are in AlphaMED Resources, which we add to and update through the application cycle.