Daring to blow the whistle

Abstract

There are two ways of looking at health secretary Alan Johnson’s remarks about whistleblowing, made during health questions in the House of Commons last week. On the one hand, Mr Johnson has been accused of being out of touch with reality, after telling MPs he did not understand why clinicians had not blown the whistle on poor standards of care at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, though, the interest he now seems to be taking in whistleblowing is a good thing, so long as he does not grasp at quick solutions.