Kevin Murray
NHS whistleblower Kevin Murray has called for better protection for anyone lifting the lid on abuse and neglect in the Health Service.
The 44-year-old agency nurse lost his job after raising concerns about the alleged mistreatment of a brain injury patient who needed round the clock care and supervision.
He claims whistleblowers are faced with a stark choice – turn a blind eye or expose wrong doing and risk being hung out to dry.
“My Professional Code of Conduct requires me to report such incidents ‘without delay’ which is what I did, in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC) guidelines.”
Following a long battle to have his complaint heard by managers, public bodies, MLAs and Ministers, Kevin lost his job with the A24 Group – an agency which supplies nursing staff to the Belfast Trust.
The complaints were never addressed and Kevin (pictured right) was taken off A24’s register.
“I still hold the burden of the allegations as I have never been given the opportunity to pass that burden on.”
Now he is campaigning for a new Whistleblower’s Code of Practice to be made law and which offers protection to Health Service workers raising legitimate concerns about patient care.
He is currently taking legal action against the Belfast Trust.
His battle started in August 2010, when he first raised concerns about a patient under the care of the Belfast Trust.
Kevin says that between August 2010 and January 2013 he made 10 whistleblowing complaints to his employer and the Trust.
“None of these 10 complaints were investigated correctly – some not at all,” he told the Sunday World.
“The three main areas of concern that I identified were substandard care planning and documentation, misdiagnosis of the patient and protection of a vulnerable adult as per a court order being in place.”
Kevin took his complaint to his union, the Royal College of Nursing, where says he was advised by a steward that the RCN only “represent employment issues and they do not consider whistleblowing to be an employment issue.”
Kevin says he was advised to go straight to the media, which is not in line with the NMC’s recommendations.
Kevin says he met with the PSNI’s Vulnerable Adults Team who advised him that protection of the patient was “beyond our remit” under an arrangement with the Department of Health known as “joint protocols.”
A spokesperson from the RCN referred us to the RQIA, saying: “In Northern Ireland, staff should refer to the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) whistleblowing guidance.”
The RQIA distanced themselves from Kevin’s employment issues altogether, saying: “The RQIA does not involve itself in employment matters between a whistleblower and their employee – the Public Interest Disclosure (NI) Order and associated employment legislation provides protection to individual whistleblowers”.