Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the protections for whistleblowing by junior doctors.

We want to ensure that the National Health Service is the safest and most transparent healthcare system in the world. To achieve this, individuals must feel safe to speak up, raise concerns and feel confident that action is taken.

In September 2016, the British Medical Association (BMA) agreed legally binding protections with Health Education England (HEE) for junior doctors who raise concerns in the workplace.

This agreement, negotiated with HEE, NHS Employers and the Department, ensures that junior doctors will have legal protection if they are subjected to detrimental treatment by HEE as a result of whistleblowing and continues to apply for the duration of the training placement therefore protecting all applicable junior doctors in England.

HEE is actively promoting this agreement to employers and understands that this agreement has been welcomed by junior doctors and the BMA, who recognise that this will protect doctors.