Does the risk of reprisal prevent nurses in the NHS from blowing the whistle on bad practice?

Whitehead B, Barker, D (2010) Does the risk of reprisal prevent nurses in the NHS from blowing the whistle on bad practice? Nursing Times; 106: 43, early on-line publication. Background Despite the introduction of legislation to protect people who report poor or unsafe practice, whistleblowing can still have serious consequences for nurses. Aim To review the literature on whistleblowing in healthcare, and explore the barriers to reporting poor practice. Method Studies focusing on whistleblowing in healthcare were used to assess the safety of incident reporting, and to determine what prevented nurses from reporting poor practice. Results Four major themes were identified as the main barriers to whistleblowing in healthcare: experience of the nurse; confidentiality and reporting processes; incident severity; and personal beliefs. Conclusion Reprisal for whistleblowing remains a major concern for nurses. Patient safetycould be improved by prioritising confidentiality and creating an environment where nurses feel safe to report poor practice.