UNISON has welcomed the decision by Monitor, the health regulator in England, to take Colchester Hospital into special measures. Monitor has said that under special measures, the trust will be required to “put right the patient quality, safety and governance concerns highlighted by the Care Quality Commission”.
The move is welcome because it is vital that patient and public trust is restored, as well as the confidence of staff in hospital management. Last week’s scandalous revelations that the Trust were guilty of falsifying details of the treatment of cancer patients, sent shock waves through the NHS. The pressure to meet targets is a burden felt across the entire health service, but it is outrageous that patients suffering from cancer – a life-threatening illness, where time is critical – should be treated in this way.
I was proud to hear that it was UNISON members who blew the whistle on what was going on at Colchester. It is not easy to put your head above the parapet and speak out especially when you are being bullied and harassed by your manager, as these members were.
Even the chief executive ignored an email from one of the members highlighting what was happening. That is why we need a more open and transparent culture throughout the whole of the NHS, where all members of staff are listened to. UNISON is encouraging and training our members to blow the whistle on any bad practice that interferes with patient care.
We have also called for greater protection for whistleblowers, to allow groups of staff who raise issues to have the same protection as individuals. When you see what happened at Colchester it sometimes feels like an uphill struggle to change the culture in some parts of the NHS, but for the sake of patients, the public and staff it is a battle worth winning.