This petition was submitted during the 2017-2019 parliament
Rejected petition Stop over-stretched NHS staff being blamed and criminalised for honest mistakes.
Underfunding and understaffing has made NHS working conditions incredibly difficult. However, staff now face criminal charges if they make an honest mistake. They also face further proceedings that can strip their licence to work forever. This is unfair, unconstructive and worsens patient safety.
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Focusing on preventing errors rather than finding a scapegoat in a ‘just’ (‘no blame’) culture is how the aviation industry has saved thousands of lives. Healthcare investigation should thus adopt a ‘no blame’ culture which focuses on stopping mistake recurrence, and ensures individuals are not criminalised for system failures. The law should be changed so healthcare staff are only prosecuted if mistakes are intentional or grossly careless. Regulators should focus on retraining, not punishment.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.
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