Abstract

Those who speak up about poor, corrupt or unethical practice often do so at a great personal cost. This timely book explores our understanding of the ethics of whistleblowing and shows how managers and organisations can support individuals speaking out.

While some professional guidelines formalize duties to speak out where there are concerns about poor or harmful practice, workplace cultures often do not encourage or support this, and individuals frequently find themselves victims of a backlash. This book looks at the social, cultural and systemic reasons that make speaking out about poor care so risky. The book looks at the ethics of whistleblowing, and why some people speak out about corrupt or harmful practice, but many do not. It offers a practical framework for creating ethically driven health and social care organizations that support and protect individuals speaking out.

Whistleblowing and Ethics in Health and Social Care is essential reading for students, professionals and decision makers across health, social care and criminal justice.

Whistleblowing and Ethics in Health and Social Care is more than timely. In-depth and well researched, its themes hit the mark - including organisational culture, paradoxes, corrupt practices, silence, by-standing and blind spots - as do the many disturbing examples given. Ethical leadership may be a solution as good as any, as the book suggests, but ethical leadership seems, in reality, scarce on the ground, thus making the book all the more important to remind us of the magnitude of the problem.
Michael Mandelstam, Author of How We Treat the Sick: Neglect and Abuse in Our Health Services and Betraying the NHS: Health Abandoned
This is a very important and timely publication given all the recent interest in and publicity about whistleblowing in the public sector with a particular focus on health and social care. What I very much value about this book is that it is not simply about the nuts and bolts of whistleblowing in respect of policy and procedure but it seeks to unearth some of the very real and fraught complexities experienced by those who have been involved in whistleblowing scenarios. Ash quite rightly encourages the reader to unpack the various layers that shroud this activity and in my view she has produced a critical analysis that should both provoke debate and be actively referenced in current and future debates. A must read for all health and social care professionals.
Nushra Mansuri, Professional Officer (BASW England)
Dr. Angie Ash FRSA, is a researcher, writer, mentor and consultant and a registered social worker. Angie's career has included social work practice and management, research at the universities of Bristol, Swansea and Bangor, and management consultancy to government, charities and companies. Angie is Principal of the UK-based health and social care consultancy Angela Ash Associates (www.ashassociates.co.uk).
Angie Ash has prepared a text which is readable, relevant and required. It is required and relevant especially at this time when public services, and public sector workers, are being compromised by cuts which are having a damaging impact on those who need to use, especially, health and social care services. Through informed and passionate analysis, this book explores the realities and risks of whistleblowing but also highlights its crucial importance and value.
Dr. Ray Jones, Professor of Social Work, Kingston University and St George's, University of London
This is an excellent account of whistleblowing in the field of health and social care. It is one of the first books to systematically and comprehensively analyse some of the key issues that arise when whistleblowers try to raise their heads above the parapet. It is essential reading for those who wish to understand how to improve the life of the whistleblower and those who wish to make organizations a better place for speaking out.
Narinder Kapur, Visiting Professor of Neuropsychology, University College London and NHS whistleblower who has written articles on patient safety

A highly recommended 'must read' book for not just those in the NHS but for policy makers, governments and the general public, in order to gain an understanding of whistleblowing which has huge implications on patient and staff safety, as well as in some instances on the public purse.

The book is extremely well researched and is unique in its in-depth analysis of whistleblowing in the health sector.

It should be made compulsory for all NHS managers and politicians to read, so that they have a better appreciation and enable appropriate action to be taken when faced with staff raising concerns.

Sharmila Chowdhury, NHS whistleblower, www.sharmilachowdhury.com