Landmark legislation to protect NHS whistleblowers fails to guarantee protection for PMS GPs, the Government has admitted.
The DH revealed that protection for whistleblowers will be enshrined in the NHS Constitution from next year in a move to clampdown on malpractice by making doctors and health professionals more aware of their rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA).
A report outlining the changes said that GPs working under GMS contracts were covered by the PIDA, but revealed that whistleblowers from PMS practices and ‘other GPs' cannot currently be assured protection under the legislation.
A DH spokesperson said: ‘Because PMS contracts are negotiated at local level, it's impossible to say for sure whether they are covered by PIDA. DH is working with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to try and address this discrepancy.'
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, GPC negotiator and a GP in Stanmore, said: ‘Clearly we need a system in the NHS where all doctors in the NHS, including PMS practices, have equitable opportunities and protection under whistleblowing legislation.'
