The Real Story

Why is it still so hard for whistleblowers?


Listen Later

Lucy Letby worked on a neonatal unit in England. Dr Stephen Brearey - the lead consultant on the unit - raised concerns in October 2015. Whilst no one knew she was killing some of the babies in her care, Dr Brearey hoped his concerns, and those of - in the end - seven of his fellow senior doctors, would be taken seriously.

Instead, senior managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital seemed to him to be focused on potential reputational damage to the organisation and were, for some time, reluctant to involve the police.

At her trial Letby was found guilty of seven murders and six more attempted murders. Worse still has been the realisation that two of the victims may not have died if the concerns had not been ignored.

This isn’t the first time the UK’s National Health Service has been accused of not listening to whistleblowers but as an organisation it is by no means alone. From international banks to car makers to health tech start-ups, whistleblowing is not always welcomed with open arms.

So why is whistleblowing - the act of disclosing information about wrongdoing in an organisation - still so difficult to do? What’s at stake for those who choose to speak out and is there enough protection? Historically, organisations appear resistant to whistleblowers - but should they instead be actively encouraged?

Shaun Ley is joined by:

Anna Myers, director of Whistleblowing International Network

Kyle Welch, assistant professor at the George Washington University School of Business

And Narinder Kapur, Professor of Neuropsycholgy at University College London

Also featuring:

Dr Stephen Brearey, lead consultant on the neonatal unit where Lucy Letby worked

Thomas Drake, a former senior executive at the National Security Agency, the United States' electronic espionage service

Photo: American economist and whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg addresses the media during a recess in his trial at the Federal Courtroom in Los Angeles, California, 10th May 1973. Ellsberg was accused of illegally copying and distributing the Pentagon papers relating to the Vietnam war. Credit: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Max Horberry

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Real StoryBy BBC World Service

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

273 ratings


More shows like The Real Story

View all
In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,409 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,830 Listeners

F1: Chequered Flag by BBC Radio 5 Live

F1: Chequered Flag

791 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,678 Listeners

Business Daily by BBC World Service

Business Daily

529 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,786 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,080 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

951 Listeners

World Business Report by BBC World Service

World Business Report

282 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,951 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,044 Listeners

The Interview by BBC World Service

The Interview

365 Listeners

Business Matters by BBC World Service

Business Matters

48 Listeners

Learning English Stories by BBC Radio

Learning English Stories

417 Listeners

The Conversation by BBC World Service

The Conversation

71 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

750 Listeners

Learning English Vocabulary by BBC Radio

Learning English Vocabulary

527 Listeners

Learning English from the News by BBC Radio

Learning English from the News

255 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

731 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

2,987 Listeners

The Explanation by BBC World Service

The Explanation

29 Listeners

The Global Story by BBC World Service

The Global Story

163 Listeners