A whistleblowing charter has been signed by health unions, employers and regulators, which pledges to support staff who raise concerns.

The “Speaking Up” charter was launched today, outlining a commitment by 28 organisations to work together to support staff when raising a safety concern. They said they recognised there was “more to do to promote a culture in the NHS where staff can report concerns with confidence”.

Signees include the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the royal colleges of nursing and midwives, Unison, Unite and NHS Employers, which represents trusts and other health service organisations.

NHS Employers director Dean Royles said: “Our staff should feel confident that they can report concerns when they feel things are not going right and be assured that appropriate action will be taken.”

Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison, added: “It is vital that NHS staff have the confidence to speak up when they have any concerns over standards of patient care or staff safety.”

The six-point charter, which is attached on the right, was developed following a whistleblowing summit held in May.

Downloads

Topics