Doctors ‘Bullied and Blacklisted’ in Response to Whistleblowing, Survey Finds

An undated file photo of a doctor on an NHS ward PA

More than 80 percent of doctors are unhappy with their organisation’s response to whistleblowing, a survey of Scottish medics has found.

A poll by the British Medical Association (BMA) Scotland, the union representing doctors north of the border, heard that some medics fear being targeted by managers as well as being blacklisted or marginalised if they speak out.

BMA Scotland received 436 responses to their online survey, finding that just 17 percent said they were satisfied with the way their organisation handled whistleblowing, while 83 percent were not.

Just over half of those who responded had experienced whistleblowing, with concerns over patient safety was the most common reason for raising the alarm. Some 94 percent of respondents believed whistleblowing enhances patient safety while 90 percent said it addresses wrongdoing,

Many said they were aware of repercussions from whistleblowing, with 56 percent saying this took the form of bullying while 39 percent said that doctors found their mental well-being was questioned.

‘Bullying’ and ‘Blacklisting’

One respondent said they had been referred to the medical regulator and blacklisted after raising concerns, and accused their health board of making up false complaints about them, while another said they had been interrogated “while in tears.”

BMA Scotland Chairman Dr. Iain Kennedy, who led the survey, said the findings painted a “shocking picture” of what can happen to medics who “bravely” blow the whistle.

Kennedy was previously involved in exposing a bullying scandal in NHS Highland, which ultimately led to the Sturrock inquiry and more than £3.4 million being paid out in compensation to affected staff.

He said: “This study aimed to examine the challenges faced by doctors when speaking up within the NHS and to identify ways to better support whistleblowers or indeed anyone raising concerns with their employer.

“It’s frankly shameful that some doctors continue to feel they cannot speak up on behalf of patients without suffering personal consequences—despite all the apparent reassurances to the contrary.

“We need urgent action to change this and better support to encourage whistleblowers, particularly for younger and non-white doctors.”

Dr. Sajid Farid, chairman of the BMA’s Scottish race equality forum, said: “Ethnic minority doctors, particularly international medical graduates, are afraid to speak up as they feel that their voices will not be heard.

“Ethnic minorities lack knowledge of whistleblowing procedures and can have communication challenges. They also experience more ‘dignity at work’ issues.”

In response to the survey’s findings, Scotland’s Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “All health service workers should have the confidence to raise any concerns they may have.

“When a whistleblower raises a concern, I expect boards to treat it with the utmost seriousness and ensure it is thoroughly, fairly and appropriately investigated, ensuring no individual suffers any repercussions.

“The national whistleblowing officer is independent of government and reviews how health boards, primary care and independent providers handle whistleblowing cases.”

A Similar Pattern in NHS England

While health is a devolved matter, Scottish doctors’ concerns are echoed by their counterparts in England, where a conference in May heard that whistleblowing doctors had been targeted by hospital bosses after raising concerns about NHS malpractice.

The Patient Safety Conference held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London heard that hospital trusts have wasted “millions of pounds” trying to “destroy” the careers of doctors who raised the alarm about poor care.

Dr. Salam Al-Sam, from Justice for Doctors (JFD), told the conference that doctors had noticed a “pattern” where whistleblowing doctors are themselves investigated instead of their concerns.

He said the pattern for whistleblowing tended to repeat itself: “You raise concerns, they are not investigated, they raise a bogus case against you, they appoint a retired HR person to humiliate you, you produce documents to prove them wrong, they change the terms of reference for another (professional) investigation, now it’s your behaviour, not capability, you produce further documents to prove these wrong, they refer you to the General Medical Council, you take them to employment tribunal, they appoint several lawyers and do not hesitate to waste millions of pounds to destroy you.”

The conference, attended by a number of whistleblowing doctors, was organised by JFD, which describes itself on its website as a not-for-profit, human rights organisation “aiming to provide support, and guidance to doctors and other healthcare professionals who have experienced or are experiencing discrimination, harassment, and bullying, and feel targeted because of whistleblowing.”

In March, the outgoing ombudsman, Rob Behrans, accused NHS England of fostering a “cover-up culture” and of being more interested in “reputation management” than allowing grieving relatives to discover the truth about the avoidable deaths of loved ones.

Behrans said his investigations into hospital failings had uncovered “the altering of care plans and the disappearance of crucial documents after patients have died and robust denial in the face of documentary evidence.”

PA Media contributed to this report.