NHS Constitution changed to protect whistleblowers

The government has announced a new amendment to the NHS Constitution that aims to offer greater protection to those who report bad practice or patient abuse.

Taking effect from early 2012 onwards, the changes will introduce an expectation on staff to raise any concerns they may have at the earliest possible juncture, while ensuring they will have somebody independent to talk to.

Pledges will also be made to make sure any concerns are investigated thoroughly, while no detriments will be suffered by the whistleblowers themselves.

The changes follow overwhelming support for measures of this kind in a recent consultation, with health secretary Andrew Lansley saying medical staff must be the "first line of defence" against malpractice.

"We are determined to root out the problems in the NHS … there are longstanding problems and we now want to do all we can to tackle them," he added.

This week, the government also announced that the number of breaches of rules surrounding the use of mixed sex accommodation in the NHS has fallen to a record low in the last year.