Exercising the right to be heard

Throughout history whistleblowers have been viewed in one of two ways: as honest and brave individuals carrying out their moral responsibility, or as traitors to the organisation and people they work for. However, for health professionals, including paramedics, the act of whistleblowing should be seen as an obligation rather than a choice.

Standard 1 of the Health and Care Professions Council's (HCPC) Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics states that registrants should act in the best interest of service users (HCPC, 2012). It goes on to say it is the duty of registrants to act immediately if they become aware of a situation where a service user may be put in danger, and to take appropriate action to protect the rights of children and vulnerable adults who are at risk (HCPC, 2012). In short, registrants are required to place the safety of service users before any personal or professional loyalties at all times (HCPC, 2012).