Loading...
Consider the case of Ignác Semmelweis, a medical professional who raised an alarm about poor practices of care. Semmelweis discovered that incidence of puerperal fever could be drastically reduced if doctors washed their hands. But his policy was rejected by most of his colleagues, including the celebrated Rudolf Virchow. Semmelweis became depressed and died at age 47 in a mental asylum in August 1865.
Several recent high-profile cases prompted the British Medical Association (BMA) to undertake an online survey to assess the views and experiences of a sample of BMA members regarding raising concerns about patient care within their workplaces and the degree of confidence and support they perceive in such situations. Of 565 doctors surveyed, 7…