Patients are failed by medical culture of ignoring those who speak up

In over 30 years of compiling clinical incident forms I have never once been contacted for follow-up afterwards. The system is outdated, writes Irish Medical Council president Suzanne Crowe

Dr Suzanne Crowe: 'Speaking up in a society lacking a culture of doing so makes it a profoundly challenging act. In the interest of public protection, we need to understand much more about that experience.' Picture: Moya Nolan

My daughter got a minus conduct mark in school this year for "talking back". When she defended herself by saying that she was just pointing out a mistake, she was given two further minus points, for more talking back. 

I was recounting our shared outrage at this injustice to a medical colleague and they immediately said that the school was correct in discouraging students to speak out - because when she’s in the workplace her boss won’t want that kind of thing either.