Good hospitals should thank and acknowledge whistleblowers.

摘要

How do nurses go about blowing the whistle on unsafe staffing? (Letters November 13). This is a tricky question, as we all know that staffing in hospitals can be a battleground, especially in the current economic climate. Employers are also likely to already be aware of staff shortages.Start by putting the risk in real terms. How many staff are on duty? How many should there be? What risk does this pose? Has it led to poor care? This may help the employer to see the urgency of the situation.What should be straightforward, however, is the response. A good hospital will acknowledge and thank the whistleblower. But we know that ignoring the concerns of staff is a big problem, with three out of four whistleblowers stating their employer did nothing when they raised a concern.