Many doctors angry at striking off of nurse whistleblower

Readers' comments (16)

• carolyn mcarthur | 25-Apr-2009 8:37 am

  N.M.C. need to act in the best interest of patients, reinstate nurse and give her a warning.

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• Anonymous | 25-Apr-2009 9:03 am

  It is very difficult for the truth to be exposed and ensure confidentiality. If the mechansims had been place to support this whistleblowing process the situation would not have occurred for this nurse or the organisation. This is a failure on part of the trust and a warning from the NMC would have been sufficient as well as ensuring that processes are set up so such poor practice can be exposed.

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  Charlotte Peters Rock | 25-Apr-2009 9:28 am

  This nurse should not be reprimanded as long as she can show that she has tried to alert some senior member of her own Trust to the problems. Instead she should be both praised and rewarded for her actions. If nurses will not oversee the welfare of their patients who will? Certainly not the 'bean counters'.
  
  The Nursing and Midwifery Council now needs to root out the self-serving people who struck her off in the first place.
  
  If they are willing to turn a blind eye to the corruptions of senior NHS Trust managers, whom they probably see as 'colleagues', then they are of no possible use in protecting vulnerable patients.
  
  Perhaps this ex-nurse might be seriously considered for a job on the Nursing and Midwifery Council? After all, she was actually doing the job for which she was paid.. and was then intimidated firstly by her own Trust and then by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. There are serious echoes of 'Graham Pink' here.
  
  Use of Data Protection Act against her is just disgusting.
  
  Long may such people thrive. This nurse deserves a medal!

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• Anonymous | 25-Apr-2009 10:26 am

  I deeply regret the way in which Ms. Haywood was enticed by Panorama to expose these truly dreadfull events.
  
  I am also saddened that she was naive enough to assume the BBC had her best interests at heart and did not seek the opinion of her Union prior to embarking upon this modus operandii.
  
  As for using the 'Data Protection Act' against her - we are, all of us, bound by the Law: even the most naive of us.
  
  The events exposed by Ms Haywood are a disgrace but two wrongs do not make a right: there were other, albeit less sensational, options open which need not have excluded such public exposure but as an end point rather than a starting point.
  
  An unpopular NMC decision does not actually make that decison a 'wrong' one.

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• Anonymous | 25-Apr-2009 11:37 am

  As a registered nurse who has worked in elderly services for the NHS I think it is a good thing that that Ms Haywood exposed what is sadly a reality in many PCTs when it comes to care of the elderly.
  
  I think the NMC should hang its head in shame for its conduct and reinstate this nurse. Too many good nurses are being lost because hospital managers can't get their act together

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• Anonymous | 25-Apr-2009 12:23 pm

  I was for 15 years a recognised and qualified Nurse Investigator, working both in the private and public sector. I investigated everything from fraud to patient abuse for employers and the legal and insurance profession. Undercover work was a regular occurence, if I had been discovered in this role I would not have expected to have been struck off but congratulated on uncovering poor practice, abuse or worse. This nurse should be appluaded. If by chance the UKCC/NMC had decided to take me to tribunal they would have lost very publicly and to their great expense. I am a regular contributor to "have your say" and usually display my name but in this matter I will remain anonymous as I am still subject to confidentiality clauses in cases I was involved in. As a note although I have retired from investigation, I was replaced by another and I know personally several other investigators who work solely within the health care profession. Be warned, you never know who is looking over your shoulder at your practice and conduct.

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• judith willis | 25-Apr-2009 1:30 pm

  I am appauled at the severe treatment of this nurse, whose sole purpose was to highlight and therefore protect the elderly in her care. Whilst we know patient confidentiality is paramount, so too is patient advocacy. I believe the NMC has done a grave injustice to our elderly patients and should hang their heads in shame.

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• Anonymous | 25-Apr-2009 2:46 pm

  I think the striking off was harsh (just take a look at the NMC professional hearings & the decisions they make - no consistent approach) - but, at the same time it appears that Ms Haywood did not follow procedures - we are all bound by these each time we accept our salary at the end of the month. Unions are there to support us when our employers do not listen; as is the fundamental principle of the NMC - protecting the public - who are our patients.
  It almost serves as a warning to all practising nurses & midwives - be very careful what you do or say with any information about what you see as substandard care if you have not tried to do anything about it locally. Did the relatives/patients featured in the documentary complain?

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• Ronald Hill | 25-Apr-2009 5:05 pm

  Working as a Nurse in a Nursing Home, we are bound by what is called a Contract of Employment, everybody is given an Employee's handbook , in which is set out all information needed to carry-out the job as needed usually in this book is a section on Whistle-Blowing!
  UNFORTUNATLY IF YOU TELL THE TRUTH YOU WILL BE SACKED
  
  This Will Not Help The Abused Elderly Patients

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• Anon | 25-Apr-2009 8:52 pm

  This nurse should not be reprimanded as long as she can show that she has tried to alert some senior member of her own Trust to the problems. Instead she should be both praised and rewarded for her actions. If nurses will not oversee the welfare of their patients who will? Certainly not the 'bean counters'.
  
  The Nursing and Midwifery Council now needs to root out the self-serving people who struck her off in the first place.
  
  If they are willing to turn a blind eye to the corruptions of senior NHS Trust managers, whom they probably see as 'colleagues', then they are of no possible use in protecting vulnerable patients.
  
  Perhaps this ex-nurse might be seriously considered for a job on the Nursing and Midwifery Council? After all, she was actually doing the job for which she was paid.. and was then intimidated firstly by her own Trust and then by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. There are serious echoes of 'Graham Pink' here.
  
  Use of Data Protection Act against her is just disgusting.
  
  Long may such people thrive. This nurse deserves a medal!

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• Anonymous | 26-Apr-2009 8:33 pm

  I am appalled that this nurse was struck off for this, a reprimand would have been sufficient. Others get away with much more scary wrong doings. Where's the justice?
  We are encouraged to whistleblow, but will now be hesitant if our registration is at stake.Ann

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• Anonymous | 26-Apr-2009 9:35 pm

  There seems to be little point in whistleblowing if such drastic action is taken, without any support, which ultimately costs a career.

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• linda Bissett | 28-Apr-2009 8:41 am

  This is a travesty of justice. This Nurse put her career on the line to draw attention to poor care. The patients had no dignity were shown no respect and were neglected. No one had listened to family or nuring staff when complaints were made. This appeared to be the only way to get action. In hindsight the unions should have been involved but would that have been kept behind closed doors too.

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• Anonymous | 29-Apr-2009 1:37 pm

  This nurse does not need to be struck off, but supported and commended for her actions. Unwise and risky expose it might have been, but necessary all the same.
  
  It is mentioned that Matrons and other managers etc.. had received complaints and concerns prior to filming but there has not been any mention of these being dealt with or action taken to prevent their recurrence. Or evidence that these remedial actions are effective.
  
  Her Seniors are conspicuous by their absence and explanation for their complete inability to deal with this shameful state of affairs.At best this Trust and the senior staff who did little or nothing to remedy this situation should be investigated, and subject to the same disciplinary action from their employer and Statutory body. Where possible criminal proceedings against this trust should be considered. I hope this avenue is open to these families to pursue this Trust. Good luck.

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• Anonymous | 1-May-2009 12:14 pm

  I am appalled at the way this nurse has been treated it is no wonder that nurses have left the UK in their droves.
  I can remember reporting an incident in the 1970's, on a ward the manager told me there was nothing they could do because of staff shortages and if they were to pull the staff in responsible, then they would have to suspend them and this would affect staffing levels even more.I saw 2 managers to no avail, I was told that if I wasn't happy then I could leave, I resigned at the end of the shift, because I refused to join them in their effort to cover up.Now I do not work in the UK and would never return to nursing there because of this incidence. Nursing in the UK does not seem to have changed.

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• Bevans Boy | 1-May-2009 11:51 pm

  The NMC has clearly acted against the consensus of UK nurses,and in ignorance of the real difficulties faced by nurses daily.To sit on a big throne,whilst passing down judgement with great gravitas,requires no connection to the world at all,but to do this properly takes insight and understanding to the milieus,dynamics,schisms and political machinations at play in many workplaces.I have always found personnell departments nieve unhelpful and prone to taking the easiest cheapest route..and like the Big Personnell Dept In The Sky ,they are rarely the friend of the nurse at the coal face.Is it not time for reform and greater democratisation of the nmc,so that it becomes more than a tool of management !?
  As it is,many nurses think of the nmc as overcostly,remote ,cold and anti-nurse.Reform is overdue.

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