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We asked healthcare professionals whether they had ever reported serious concerns over the delivery of care. Here is a selection of their answers What the whistleblowers say "I reported clinical concerns and highlighted bullying and victimisation - no action was taken." "They were investigated but did not include me as the complainer. A report was made and nothing happened. Still have serious doubts about the safety of blood transfusion service at my trust." "I believe that when I have had concerns they have been genuine and I am satisfied that I was taken seriously."...

Wednesday's event could achieve what the government's NHS reforms have not The NHS Change Day on Wednesday has great intentions and a potential to make a real difference to patients, carers and families, and by virtue of this should make health professionals proud to work in the NHS. So far more than 100,000 pledges have been made. If the event lives up to expectation, it will mean that more than 100,000 initiatives will have taken place to reignite our interest in the NHS. After the battering the NHS has taken over the Mid-Staffs scandal, the cut in resources and the ever increasing problems...

We must acknowledge that our beloved NHS is lacking the basic humanity of care that we had come to expect At last it has arrived. Robert Francis QC's long-awaited report has been published , passing excoriating criticism of almost all of the main institutions that make up the management, organisation and regulation of the NHS, and how their collective failure prolonged the suffering of hundreds of patients attending Mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust and their families. For those in the upper echelons of the NHS, the temptation may be to defend the service's record, point out how the...

It's high risk to bring in an entirely new governing board in one go, explains a transition board member in response to claims that the College is not acting democratically Ray Jones claims that the College of Social Work will be undemocratic . This is untrue. We will be fully democratic from 2016 onwards and we will become progressively more democratic up to that point. From this year, half the social worker positions on our governing committees will be democratically elected and this proportion will gradually increase until we achieve full democracy in three years' time. It is widely...

The chief executive of the General Medical Council explains why he believes revalidation is vital to delivering first class care The vast majority of doctors are good doctors – they have the skills and experience to deliver first class care. But just as the capacity of doctors to do good has never been greater, the risks associated with medical care are also greater than ever. Making sure that we use and support this incredible skills base, and recognise the importance of quality and safety in doing so is what revalidation is all about. Most patients think that there is a system in place already...

Our panel of experts will discuss the challenges of change and whether managers will be able to achieve efficiency savings. Join us from noon until 2pm Friday 18 May As the NHS prepares to implement the new Health and Social Care Act, and faces unprecedented efficiency saving, how can healthcare leaders ensure that they are getting the best possible outcomes for patients, staff and organisations? Our live discussion will focus on leadership during the transition and beyond and look at how the NHS Institute and the Academy can drive inspired leadership behaviors. How can managers achieve efficiency...

NHS managers now have the task of implementing Andrew Lansley's reforms The passing of the health and social care bill was trumpeted in some quarters (including, apparently, the Cabinet room) as a hard-won victory for Andrew Lansley and his plans to "liberate the NHS". For the battalion of health service managers, however, the campaign has now begun in earnest. It is they who have to take the legislation, translate its complex clauses into practical plans, and determine how far Lansley's hopes will be realised and the fears of his detractors proven or not. NHS managers have been...

A system giving patients responsibilty and shared ownership could address the challenges facing the healthcare sector The health and social care bill has generated a spectacular amount of controversy but is it a truly radical transformation of the health sector? Its claim to be groundbreaking lies in structural reform which gives leadership to doctors because the government believes doctors can and will act in patients' best interests, take more responsibility for the whole, and find innovative solutions. But structural reform is complicated. It is amenable to top-down solutions, to skilled...