Saturday 28 February 2015

Who is Responsible for the Abuse by Jimmy Savile?

We know that for over fifty years Jimmy Savile sexually molested children and adult patients in Stoke Mandeville Hospital. It has been revealed that managers ignored complaints from patients, and the suspicions of staff; and allowed him continued access to vulnerable patients up until his death. We also now know that government officials contrived to prevent any investigations into his activities. In spite of this it appears that nobody is going to be held responsible for the abuse that took place, or the negligence that allowed it to continue for over fifty years. 

Under David Nicholson the NHS became an organisation that spent more money on shutting up whistleblowers than it invested in patient engagement. If that tide is to change then people who put the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable patients in jeopardy for so many decades just so they could advance their professional and political careers must be held to account. Hopefully in due course the NHS whistleblowers charter will address maladministration as well as it does clinical negligence. 

4 comments:

  1. Oh wow!.....andddddd there are lots of Jimmys in many places...people just ignore them and find a way to sweep his shenanigans under the rug **shakes head** Papi, I am not sure bout how I feel bout the whistleblowers part....I mean, there is a difference when you see something wrong and you say it openly and when you see something wrong and you snitch bout it...don't you think?

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    1. I'm inclined to disagree with you on snitching. I believe snitching us a concept used by criminals to coerce people into covering up their evil deeds. Wrongdoing should be exposed unconditionally. Hopefully people will find safe ways and spaces to do so. This is needed to protect the vulnerable and society as a whole.

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    2. You seem to me like a protector, a "mother hen"

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    3. I hope not. I can't stand clucking. I'm just keen to do what I can to make things better

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