Whistleblowing: the UK experience. Part 2

Abstract

We begin with health and safety, notably in the risky working environment of the oil rigs, before moving on to the health service. Social services have become a huge area of concern with cases of child abuse emerging from the past as well as the present. Professional regulatory bodies are increasingly mandating whistleblowing among their members. The immediate 1977 Labour government response on election is then indicated, resulting in the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, the stipulations of which are highlighted. Protection applies across all sectors of the economy – private, public and voluntary. The limited amount of UK research on whistleblowing is catalogued. Considerations of national culture are then discussed, and the conclusion takes stock of the period and the future. The British character has been ambivalent to whistleblowing, and still is, but the lead provided by legislation and professional bodies has led to greater public acceptance and support.