Whistle Blower gets......blown away.

[Louis VI the Fat]

I've seen cockroaches, rats, drug errors and probably events relating to the death of one patient


Do I want to be a martyr? No

Cool to know that careers are considered more important in the health industry than health.

That's the tragedy of this case. The whistleblower is destroyed, sending a clear signal to everyone in the health industry to toe the line, in a culture of silent complicity, rather than to work towards improving medical standards.

There's two sides to this.
Side 1: whistleblowing is fine and all, in terms of improving the general population's lives.
Side 2: filming vulnerable adults capable of consenting without attempting to obtain consent and breaching confidentiality as a professional with power over these patients is not OK.

Side 2, I would say, is but a shameful, cynical excuse.

I am familiar with Panorama. It is serious, investigative journalism. Journalism performs an important democratic watchdog function, and is heavily protected by law. 'Hidden camera' techniques to expose misdoings deserve legal protection. Secretly filming patients under the shower is illegal. Secretly filming patients to expose their abuse or maltreatment is a different matter altogether.

Note that no legal action was taken against the BBC. Because, I would venture to say, none would stand a chance in court.
If they are so concerned about the breach of patients rights, then why don't they drag the BBC to court? Surely, they ought to agree that this gross infringement of patients rights - which they deemed severe enough to fire someone over - must not go unpunished?


The cynicism is breathtaking.