Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to publicise whistleblower rights and protections for GPs.

We are committed to ensuring that all National Health Service staff, including general practitioners, are aware of how and where they can speak up about their concerns and that when they do so they are supported, and their concerns are taken seriously. A national speaking up helpline ‘Speak Up Direct’ provides advice and support on speaking up in the NHS for all staff.

The National Guardian we set up in 2016 and the local network of Freedom to Speak Up Guardians are playing a crucial role across the country in providing safe avenues for staff to raise concerns within their own organisations. The National Guardian also works to raise awareness of speaking up opportunities for all NHS staff and promotes the value of a healthy ‘speaking up’ culture.

In 2016, NHS England published Freedom to Speak Up guidance for primary care and the National Guardian is currently focusing on accelerating the implementation of Freedom to Speak Up and the local Guardian role in primary care organisations.