Overcoming obstacles to reporting

1. 9. You may be reluctant to report a concern for a number of reasons. For example, because you fear that nothing will be done or that raising your concern may cause problems for colleagues; have a negative effect on working relationships; have a negative effect on your career; or result in a complaint about you.
2. 10. If you are hesitating about reporting a concern for these reasons, you should bear the following in mind.
   
   
   1. a. You have a duty to put patients’ interests first and act to protect them, which overrides personal and professional loyalties.
   2. b. The law provides legal protection against victimisation or dismissal for individuals who reveal information to raise genuine concerns and expose malpractice in the workplace.^*
   3. c. You do not need to wait for proof – you will be able to justify raising a concern if you do so honestly, on the basis of reasonable belief and through appropriate channels, even if you are mistaken.