In the wake of hospital inquiries: Impact on staff and safety

• Mishandled concerns about clinical standards resulted in whistleblowing in four Australian hospitals. • Official inquiries followed with recommendations to improve patient safety. • In the aftermath of the inquiries, common themes included loss of trust in management and among clinical colleagues, and loss of trust from patients and the community. • Without first rebuilding trust, staff will not report mistakes or other concerns about safety. • Successful implementation of patient safety procedures requires policies to stress the professional duty of staff to report concerns about colleagues when they believe there is a risk to patients.