Exclusive: Rob Behrens says ministers and health leaders are doing too little to end ‘cover-up culture’ in England
Hospitals are cynically burying evidence about poor care in a “cover-up culture” that leads to avoidable deaths, and families being denied the truth about their loved ones, the NHS ombudsman has warned.
Ministers, NHS leaders and hospital boards are doing too little to end the health service’s deeply ingrained “cover-up culture” and victimisation of staff who turn whistleblower, he added.
Avoidable deaths are too common, especially in maternity care, mental health and cases of sepsis (blood poisoning).
The NHS sometimes does “dreadful” and “cynical” things in obstructing families’ pursuit of the full facts about a death, including lying and concealing evidence.
The service’s legal “duty of candour” was not forcing hospitals to be open when things went wrong.
