Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS staff are able to give evidence in court proceedings without it impacting their career.

There are currently no plans for my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to introduce new steps to ensure National Health Service staff are able to give evidence in court proceedings without it impacting on their career. Court proceedings are a private legal matter between employees, their legal advisor, and the employer concerned. Time off to attend court is also a private matter between individuals and the employer, including whether the time is paid or unpaid.

A person is protected from victimisation in relation to any discrimination complaint, for instance they may not be subjected to detriment for being involved in a complaint about discrimination, under current employment law. They may also not be subject to detriment for asserting certain statutory rights such as trade union activities.

This also includes where a member of NHS staff has made a protected disclosure under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and gives evidence regarding those issues in court where they would be protected from detriment by their employer, including, subject to any jurisdictional issues, any former and future employers as a result of them having made the protected disclosure.