Freedom to Speak Up

Excellent care and patient experience flourishes in an open and honest environment. Sometimes things can go wrong or the things we do can fall short of the standards we expect of ourselves and others.

When this happens it is important we all feel able to freely speak up and raise our concerns, and for those concerns to be heard and acted upon.

NUH has its own Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and divisional Champions who are there to help support you.

They act as an independent and impartial source of advice to staff at any stage of raising a concern.

The network of Freedom to Speak Up Champions can also offer guidance and support to NUH staff, contractors, volunteers and students.

It is not easy to raise concerns and sometimes difficult to know what to do. If you raise a concern you should always receive feedback and never be victimised. If you feel this is the case please contact the Guardian or one of your local champions.

NHS Trust Board Pledge

Our Trust Board is committed to an open culture. It has signed up to the  ‘NUH Board Speak Up Pledge’ which assures:

• consideration of all concerns.
• communication of outcomes and action.
• consistency of responses.
• care and support given to those reporting concerns

 

I believe my supervisor/colleague is covering up unsafe practice in order to meet certain mandated targets. I’m afraid reporting her means she will make my job difficult. What can I do?

If you do not feel comfortable talking to your supervisor about it please speak to a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian or Champion.  NUH will not tolerate retaliation in any form against a person who raises a legitimate concern.

I am being bullied who do I speak to?

You can speak to your Freedom to Speak up Guardian or Champions for advice and support.

The Board is committed to creating an open culture at NUH and has nominated responsible officers.

Non-Executive Director: Serbjit Kaur

Director of Corporate Governance: Gilbert George

The trust Chair and CEO can be contacted directly if you have serious concerns about quality of care.

Chief Executive:  Anthony May

Chair: Nick Carver

The Trust’s Freedom to Speak Up Guardians are: 

Sharon Wilson, Clare Cooper and Amnah Shah. They can be contacted at:  nuhnt.freedomtospeakupguardian@nhs.net

Champions

Pam Doherty

Samar Ellahi

Onyinye Enwezor

Lovelyn Umeloh

Katie Sweeting

​Rowena Padamsey

Elizabeth Roper

​Donna Croucher

​Debrah Neale

Amber Wayne

Lucy Davies

Christine Salmon

Lauren Hess

Cheryl Powell

Damian Chadwick

Anne Cavan

Chrsitine Corkery-Sheeran 

Sahrah Bryant 

James Rickards