Over 30,000 cases were brought to Freedom to Speak Up guardians throughout the 2023/24 period, according to the latest annual speaking up data report published by the National Guardian’s Office on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
This marks a 27.6% increase from the previous year, making it the highest number of cases recorded to date.
The report’s release coincides with the announcement of the National Guardian’s updated strategy to support cultural change in healthcare, with the aim of improving worker experience and patient safety.
Currently, there are over 1,200 Freedom to Speak Up guardians in place to support healthcare workers who may not feel comfortable speaking up through other means. Since the National Guardian’s Office began collecting data in 2017, these guardians have handled over 130,000 cases.
The report highlights that nearly two out of every five cases (38.5%) involved inappropriate behaviors and attitudes. This is a critical issue as working environments greatly impact the quality and safety of patient care, as well as staff retention and overall ways of working.
Dr. Jayne Chidgey-Clark, National Guardian for the NHS, stated, “More and more people are coming to their Freedom to Speak Up guardians, which is a credit to the efforts made by guardians to foster trust and break down barriers to speaking up within their organizations.”
She added, “Culture is a patient safety issue. Every interaction – whether it is with a patient, family member, colleague, or consultant – makes a difference to lives and outcomes.”
The National Guardian’s refreshed vision for the work of the National Guardian’s Office is to improve workplace cultures by ensuring that workers feel confident to speak up. This will be achieved through providing expert support, guidance, and challenge.
Since the role of Freedom to Speak Up Guardian was established in 2016, significant progress has been made in driving cultural change in organizations, making it safer for healthcare workers to speak up in England. However, there is still a lack of consistency in supporting workers’ voices, hindering further progress.
Dr. Jayne Chidgey-Clark stated, “We know it takes courage to speak up. These case numbers represent 30,000 opportunities for learning and improvement for the benefit of patients and colleagues, yet too many voices still go unheard.”
“Our strategic vision is to move the dial on Freedom to Speak Up. Of course, workers should be safe to speak up – safety is the bare minimum. What we aim to achieve over the next few years is confidence. This comes when workers not only feel encouraged to raise concerns but also trust that appropriate actions will be taken,” she continued.
For more information or to schedule interviews, please contact comms@nationalguardianoffice.org.uk.
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