TWO whistleblowers who spoke out about negligence at Furness General Hospital fear a government pledge to ban gagging orders could be “rhetoric”.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said “we stand with whistleblowers” as he vowed to outlaw the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) against employees who speak out in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

“Making someone choose between the job they love and speaking the truth to keep patients safe is an injustice I am determined to end,” he said.

Former University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust consultant urologist Peter Duffy, and radiographer Sue Allison, both won tribunal battles against the trust after being bullied for highlighting clinical errors at Furness General Hospital.

Mrs Allison fought off the trust’s bid to prevent her from bringing an employment tribunal case on the basis she had signed an NDA.

“Mr Hancock’s pledge is almost identical to the 2013 statement made by Jeremy Hunt,” she said.

“There needs to be proper legislation which allows whistleblowers to report their concerns outside the confines of the trust so cover-up and gagging is not possible.

“Let’s hope that this can be built upon this time and is not just same old rhetoric.”

Respected surgeon and former Doctor of the Year Mr Duffy quit his job at FGH in July 2016 after he was bullied and forced out of his job in response to his whistleblowing.

In 2018 he was awarded £102,000 by a tribunal after he was ruled to have been unfairly dismissed.

“For far too long we’ve had a surplus of rhetoric from politicians, regulators and NHS leaders regarding protection for NHS whistleblowers,” he told The Mail.

“Matt Hancock’s words are welcome but they mean absolutely nothing without action to back them up.

“We heard exactly the same kind of promises from Jeremy Hunt over NHS whistleblower protection, yet in the end, Jeremy Hunt showed about as much political leadership and courage as an ostrich with its head in the sand over these kind of issues.

“Unfortunately, people like Sue Allison and myself continue to be stripped of our vocations, jobs, reputations and income for simply doing our jobs to a rather higher standard than is comfortable for some in senior management."

“Only when whistleblowers are properly protected from retaliation by substantial action by politicians, regulators and NHS leaders can we hope to start to really make the NHS a safe and reliable place to be cared for.”