Abstract
The Mid Staffordshire Public Inquiry (Francis Report) in 20131 identified a catalogue of preventable harm, including deaths, of patients in a NHS general hospital. This paper uses historical sources from the 1960s to help explore two interacting themes raised in the Report, the duty of candour and whistle-blowing, with the aim of informing current debate. Whistle-blowing and duty of candour deserve consideration particularly during periods of austerity, as the NHS is experiencing now, since under-resourced clinical teams struggling to cope are more likely to cut corners compromise care and be defensive if criticised.
Highlights
The Mid Staffordshire Public Inquiry (Francis Report) in 20131 identified a catalogue of preventable harm, including deaths, of patients in a NHS general hospital
Since 2014, the NHS has had to comply with a statutory duty of candour.[2]
This means that staff must be honest with patients and their families when an untoward incident, for which they are responsible, causes physical or ‘prolonged psychological’ harm or death
Summary
The Mid Staffordshire Public Inquiry (Francis Report) in 20131 identified a catalogue of preventable harm, including deaths, of patients in a NHS general hospital. Robb was appalled by standards of care, including: slapping patients; dreadful food; bed time at 7 p.m.; lack of dentures, spectacles and hearing aids, which discouraged independence; and lack of activities, personal clothes and privacy, which undermined dignity and self-esteem. Robb began her campaign to improve care after senior NHS officials ignored her complaints and she realised that similar conditions were widespread. She established Aid for the Elderly in Government Institutions, a small, elite, pressure group. Their outcomes, together with Robb’s ongoing campaign, contributed to NHS policy changes to raise and monitor standards, linked to proposals made in Sans Everything
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