Katherine | Standing up to do the right thing – Nolan Principles

Dear Coroner,

I wanted you to know that if I had died, it was intentional. Because the Trust would have encouraged you to believe it was an ‘accident’ or ‘misadventure’ to try and protect their organisational reputation. And this would have been the greatest insult – to be denied justice in death just as I was denied it in life.

Repeatedly, I raised that this is an unsafe organisation, verbally and in writing, informally and formally. In one particular Board meeting, I was alarmed at reports by staff being ill-treated after raising patient safety concerns. No-one mentioned it but me. Not even a Staff Governor who was elected to represent them. 

The FTSU Guardian shut me down. Some Board Members joined in and fobbed me off. I checked if this was recorded in the Meeting Minutes. Predictably, it was not. 

I raised other concerns including where the Trust had operated illegally. And then they really turned on me. I was bullied and abused; others were manipulated against me, isolating me. Meetings were held at board level to discuss how I should be treated with the ‘grey rock’ method to silence me. I was a public governor and they agreed that no-one should enter into discussion with me and only to respond with brief pleasantries to me. Nothing was to be written down about me. Any concerns that I raised must be closed down without any investigation.

My medical records were brought into these secret meetings and my confidentialities were breached. Medical treatment has been denied me and other clinically-needed assessment has been withheld from me. I believe this was all part of the punishment process because I spoke out.

After whistle-blowing about the police and its cover-ups, I didn’t think anything worse could happen to me than that.

How wrong I was.

(more to follow…)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This is my story as: Governor


NHS Trust: Don’t know/prefer not to say


Timespan: Recent years


Did you raise concerns?: Yes


Did the Trust (or Provider) retaliate?: Yes


Would you tell colleagues that the FTSU Guardian route is a safe one?: No


Were your concerns addressed and dealt with satisfactorily?: No


Which option best reflects the Trust’s (or Provider’s) culture?: Bullying/Toxic


Your ethnicity: White British


Have you experienced suicidality due to this?: Attempted suicide more than once


Are you autistic?: Formal diagnosis


Are you disabled as defined under the Equality Act 2010?: Prefer not to say

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