Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.
Thank you to Tom Reynolds, for once again keeping us informed about another blog which has been forced to stop due to pressure from the “powers that be”. Unfortunately this time I have not been able to read this blog myself so I am unable to comment on it personally. However, it is more than a little disturbing when people are unable to write truthfully about their experiences “behind the scenes” of services that we as the public rely on so heavily.
This takes me back to when my husband was in hospital. The way we were treated by hospital staff was absolutely appalling. We particularly had problems with the temporary consultant on the ward at the time and even some of the nurses were aghast at his treatment of some of his patients. These ones encouraged me to go ahead with my complaint but said they were “unable” to complain about him themselves and that I shouldn’t quote anything they had said. They wouldn’t tell me why but after what I had witnessed during my meeting with the “powers that be” (namely the Medical Director), and the subsequent result (namely the whole thing being swept very neatly under the proverbial carpet), it has become clear to me that these ones were also unable to truthfully voice what they had witnessed through fear of losing their jobs.
It appears to me that if you are employed in any way by the NHS, then speaking out against anyone (particularly of higher rank) or anything within that service is strictly prohibited. You are to remain loyal at all times, and protect the infallible identity of our Great National Health Service.
Of course I am not employed by the "Great National Health Service", so I can say what ever I like – and I will*. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for a lot of the services that we receive, and often the people within these services work extremely hard for little appreciation, but I am disgusted that these same people within this service are forced to keep quiet about things that are just wrong. Although my experiences are from the “outside”, I will freely post about them, and yes, I will quote what other healthcare professionals have said to me, as it is unlikely now that their identity would be discovered.
*You can read my experiences of dealing with the Mental Health Services in my other blog.
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3 comments:
I know exactly how you feel. As an retired nurse due to disability
there is a proffesional silance that you are obliged to keep while you are in the employment of the NHS. This still goes on after you have left as most of us are still reliant on the meagre pension we are forced to live on. A lot of the so called consultans think the can get away with anything. Even so I have seen a Senior Consultant Surgeon being given a very strong dressing down by the operating room charge nurse. This surgeon has now retired a wiser man. Having worked in mental health as well a lot of the nursing staff seam to have a nursing code of ther own. I think this may have developed through being keaping themelves separate from the General nursing body.
(Deleted post above was simply a duplicate of the post by anonymous)
Thankyou for your comments anonymous.
Some of the experiences I have yet to post about may sound truly unbelievable to some, but obviously with your experience you will know only too well that these things do happen!
I love your comment about mental health nurses having a code of their own! Whatever do you mean??...
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