Thirlwall Inquiry: NHS whistleblowers say concerns get ignored

Giving evidence to the inquiry, Ms Raphael said 31% of healthcare workers from the NHS who rang the campaign group had said their concerns had been ignored.

She said: “Ignored means not even investigated, ignored means no-one has done anything about it.

“It’s like throwing a pebble in a dark hole. It’s completely pointless to raise that issue because no-one took any notice.”

She added that 62% of NHS callers to Protect said they were punished for speaking out.

Ms Raphael added: “Instead of being thanked for doing what they should do, which is raising a concern, they are being punished for it, they are being victimised.”

She said those figures were “not widely different” from other industries but suggested there was more of a blame culture in the NHS than other sectors.

Protect is calling for a whistleblowing commissioner for England and Wales.

“There is nothing in our legal system that actually forces employers to have systems in place,” Ms Raphael said.

Letby, 34, is serving 15 whole-life orders after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others between June 2015 and June 2016, with two attempts on one baby’s life.

The inquiry, sitting at Liverpool Town Hall, will hear evidence until January, with findings to be published by the late autumn.