Responding to the publication of the Government’s draft terms of reference for the forthcoming public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Jayne Chidgey-Clark, National Guardian for the NHS said:
“Workers’ ability and desire to speak up – and the confidence that they will be met with an appropriate response when they do – is crucial for the safety and wellbeing of service users, the public and workers themselves. In healthcare, freedom to speak up is critical for patient safety.
“Yet during the pandemic, workers’ freedom to speak up and the responses they received were variable – sometimes good and sometimes poor. This is why the National Guardian’s Office has requested that the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry should include freedom to speak up.”