POLITICIANS have called for whistleblowers to be protected following claims a report on the QEUH scandal will deter others from speaking out.
Scottish Conservatives and Scottish Labour have both urged Health Secretary Jeane Freeman to take action after a report into the problems at the £842m flagship site criticised the whistleblowers who raised the alarm.
As reported in today's Herald on Sunday, BMA Scotland and Whistleblowers UK said there was still work to be done to encourage people with concerns to speak out, particularly in the NHS.
Others said those who highlighted the failings at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital have been victimised and their careers jeopardised as a result of their decision to whistleblow.
Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman said Ms Freeman had "failed" to tackle the culture at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC).
She said: "The Health Secretary has failed to take action to clean up NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
“The brave staff who blew the whistle on the dangers at the QEUH campus deserve protection not persecution.
“Levelling criticism at staff whistleblowers is beyond the pale and could deter workers from raising concerns in future.
“Despite the Sturrock report it looks like lessons are not being learned and this is hugely worrying."
Ms Lennon said the public inquiry, which Ms Freeman ordered last year following public and political pressure, was now urgent, adding: "It should worry us all that whistleblowers have experienced victimisation within NHSGGC, yet no one has been held to account.
“With the credibility of this report in tatters, the judge-led independent public inquiry that Scottish Labour campaigned for cannot come soon enough.”
Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservatives health spokesman said the treatment of the QEUH whistleblowers has been "totally unacceptable".
He explained: “For years there has been growing concern expressed by NHS professionals over the whistleblowing safeguards in place in Scotland to provide a safe space for their concerns to be listened to and be protected if they speak out and raise legitimate concern.
“The criticism of whistleblowers for speaking out about concerns within the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is totally unacceptable and will only work to undermine confidence and silence our dedicated NHS professionals.
“Over the last 14 years of this SNP Government we have seen scandal after scandal in Scottish hospitals which would not have come to light and been made public were it not for whistleblowers coming forward.
“One of the hardest things for anyone within the NHS to do is to whistleblow. For them now to feel they have been victimised and bullied as a result of raising their legitimate concerns is totally unacceptable and sends a shocking message that SNP Minsters do not value the risks whistleblowers take to safeguard our NHS.”
Jeane Freeman has publicly praised the whistleblowers involved in the problems with the QEUH, and in 2018 pledged at the SNP conference to appoint a whistleblowing champion in every health board.
She said at the time: "If there is anyone in our health service who is feeling bullied or harassed I take that very seriously - and I want you to come forward."
As of February this year, 19 of Scotland's 22 health boards had whistleblowing champions appointed.
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
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