Whistle-blowing, ethics and patient care:
some thoughts and lessons
Margaret Heywood, 58, a nurse at the Royal Sussex Hospital, Brighton, UK, was struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council for failing to ‘follow her obligations as a nurse.’ Concerned about the treatment of elderly patients, in July 2005, she filmed conditions in her hospital, undercover, for the BBC Panorama programme. (Reported by BBC News, 16 April 2009: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/8002559.stm)
I am not in a position to comment on the detailed rights and wrongs of this case (though there seems to be strong evidence in favour of the nurse’s position), but the controversy raises issues which are important for all of us and for achieving the best possible healthcare.
Following discussion of this case, some specific lessons and recommendations appear at the end of the post.