International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

When Whistle-blowers Become the Story: The Problem of the ‘Third Victim’; Comment on “Cultures of Silence and Cultures of Voice: The Role of Whistleblowing in Healthcare Organisations”

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Justin Waring
Centre for Health Innovation, Leadership & Learning, Nottingham University Business School, Nottingham University, Nottingham, UK
10.15171/ijhpm.2015.197
Abstract
In the healthcare context, whistleblowing has come to the fore of political, professional and public attention in the wake of major service scandals and mounting evidence of the routine threats to safety that patients face in their care. This paper offers a commentary and wider contextualisation of Mannion and Davies, ‘Cultures of silence and cultures of voice: the role of whistleblowing in healthcare organisations.’ It argues that closer attention is needed to the way in which whistle-blowers can become the focus and victim of raising concerns and speaking up.
Keywords
Whistleblowing
Patient Safety
Speaking-up
Risk
Subjects
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  • Received Date 23 September 2015
  • Revised Date 01 November 2015
  • Accepted Date 29 October 2015
  • First Published Date 01 February 2016
  • Published Date 01 February 2016