MOSCOW, August 7 (RIA Novosti) – The UK's public healthcare system, the National Health Service, could improve its service if staff anonymously shared their experiences of witnessing poor patient care, a researcher told The Telegraph.
''We need a culture where 'I need to report this' is the thought, foremost in the mind of any NHS worker that has concerns – a culture where concerns are listened to and acted upon," the paper quoted Sir Robert Francis, who led two major inquiries into failures at hospital at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, Thursday.
Francis said the Mid Staffordshire Public Inquiry showed "appalling consequences for patients when there is a 'closed ranks' culture."
British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt commissioned the inquiries to determine the changes required to ensure NHS staff knew how to act when concerned about the quality of the health care without being bullied by colleagues who are more concerned about the reputation of the NHS.
''We need to hear from as many people in the NHS as possible, so we can learn more about what we need to do to support staff to raise concerns, and support the NHS to listen to them," Francis said.
For many NHS medical workers, attempts to report unsafe conditions provided for patients cost them their careers, discouraging others to speak up. In Francis’ view, a culture of whistleblowing could benefit all parties.
Hunt also promised earlier in the year to make it easier for staff to report issues and emphasized their right to speak up.
According to the national statistics, patients ranked the quality of NHS care at 76.5 percent in 2012, a 1-percent rise from the year before, with the greatest improvement coming from "building closer relationships."
