Care users should not fear being a whistleblower, says town MP
PEOPLE in care should feel open to sharing their experiences so that standards can be improved, according to Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage.
Ms Dinenage, who is also the under secretary of state at the Department of Health and Social Care, has joined forces with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after research showed more than seven million people who have had concerns about their care never raised their issues.
This has led to a new campaign called #DeclareYourCare, urging potential whistleblowers to come forward.
Ms Dinenage said: ‘We want our health and care system to be the safest and most compassionate in the world.
‘This means encouraging patients to speak up with concerns, ensuring we act on them and learning from mistakes.
‘I encourage anyone who has concerns over their care, or the care of loved ones, to share their experiences with the Care Quality Commission – so they can continue their vital work of protecting patients and improving the excellent care we see across the health service.’
Ian Trenholm, chief executive of the Care Quality Commission, added: ‘Hearing from people about their experiences of care is an important part of our inspection work and contributes to driving improvements in standards of care.
‘Everyone can play a part in improving care by directly giving feedback to services, or by sharing information and experiences with us so that we can take action when we find poor care.’