2021–2022 healthcare professional regulators’ whistleblowing report published

The joint whistleblowing disclosures report published today is part of a coordinated effort with seven other regulators to address serious issues that health and care professionals in the UK have raised.

We publish this joint report because we’re committed to being transparent about how we handle whistleblowing disclosures, highlighting the actions we’ve taken about them, and improving our collaboration with partners across the health sector.

In 2021-2022, we received 152 disclosures, a reduction from 192 the previous year. The higher number last year was largely due to Covid-19 and this year we are seeing a return to pre-pandemic levels. The most common themes of the disclosures this year related to patient safety and care; leadership and management; health and safety; and behaviour.

Commenting on the report, Matthew McClelland, our Executive Director of Strategy and Insight, said:

“Today’s report shows how seriously we take whistleblowing concerns that are raised with us and the action we’ve taken to deal with them.

“Speaking up about concerns is an integral part of safety culture and leads to learning and improvement. It’s important that nurses, midwives, and nursing associates have the confidence to speak up in the knowledge they will be listened to and their concerns acted upon.

“Thank you to everyone who has spoken up to the NMC – we always take your concerns very seriously.”

You can read more about what whistleblowing is and why it matters on our website.

Read the Whistleblowing disclosures report for 2021-2022 

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