Back to front.

My particular ‘friend’, Sir David Nicholson has been appearing before the Public Accounts Committee in parliament. He did a nifty smokescreen job – something he has perfected after 30 years building up his big fat pension at the NHS.

He should have been answering questions about how it was that the NHS he ran spent £11 Billion on a computer system that has never worked.

Instead he had to answer questions about hiding information that had been requested about 50 ‘gagging orders’ used to shut up whistle-blowers at a cost of £2 million.

In fact there will be many more – M.P.’s on the committee didn’t get answers and so one used Freedom of Information legislation to get answers from the few trusts that bothered to reply.

Nicholson? He said he “absolutely refuted that I have ever been involved in any cover up”.

M.P. Stephen Barclay; “Is there not a conflict of interest for a Hospital Trust making a payment to someone who has a dispute against the Trust? The body is using taxpayer’s money to settle the matter”.

They’ve all got it wrong – payments to whistle-blowers are a good thing, what’s bad is the ‘gagging order’.

Here’s how it works – you are a Doctor or a Nurse, you complain about a bad practise but instead of thanking you and putting it right, the Hospital treats you so badly you leave or they create disciplinary ‘offences’ to get rid of you.

Instead you agree to go; in return they make a payment to you, give you a reference for your next job and money on top – with a requirement that you never mention the bad practise. Open your mouth and you get taken to Court for the money you were given.

The press and M.P’s have been fighting the NHS about this money – but this has been the only real protection for whistle-blowers. Banning the payments isn’t going to safeguard courageous people, it just leaves them broke.

It’s simple – you just prevent trusts taking ex-employees to court over confidentiality clauses – what’s there to hide?

By the way; will no one get fired for wasting £11 Billion?

By the way 2;

 

E

NO GRASSES HERE !

On this Blog there are no Finks, Grasses, Stool pigeons or informers.

If you get in touch, your secrets are safe with me.

Hush, hush.

On the quiet.

 

What can you do?

If you are a Patient; I need case studies of problems with A and E to force the Care Quality Commission to start an investigation.

E-mail me direct.

If you are employed by the Trust;

It’s time to blow the whistle on A and E.

E-mail me direct – privacy guaranteed.

Or you can Post an anonymous comment.

Anybody Else;

read, share, publicise this blog.

 

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production) 

Home:              helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com
Contact:           neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com