Health professionals' experiences of whistleblowing in maternal and newborn healthcare settings: A scoping review and thematic analysis

Problem: Whistleblowing, which involves raising concerns about wrongdoing, carries risks yet can be crucial to ensuring the safety of health service users in maternal and newborn healthcare settings. Understanding of the experiences of health care professionals that enact whistleblowing in this context is currently limited. Background: Notable inquiries involving maternity services such as those reported upon by Ockenden and Kirkup and the Lucy Letby case in the United Kingdom have shone an international spotlight on whistleblowing failures. Aim: To identify and synthesise available literature addressing the experiences of healthcare professionals enacting whistleblowing in maternal and newborn care settings. Methods: This scoping review followed Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. Five academic databases were systematically searched for documents published between January 2013 and October 2023 with additional searches of Google Scholar and related reference lists. Findings: Whilst 35 papers from international sources were identified, the majority originated from the United Kingdom, where recent high-profile incidents have occurred. Thematic analysis identified three main themes: ‘Structural Power’, ‘Perfectionism’ and ‘Bravery, Hope and Disappointment’, each with sub-themes. Discussion: Whistleblowing is frequently an altruistic act in a hierarchical system. It exposes poor practices and disrupts power dynamics, especially in challenging workplace cultures. Open disclosure, however, requires psychological safety. Obstacles persist, emphasising the need for a culture of trust and transparency led by individuals who embody the desired values. Conclusion: Primary research on whistleblowing in maternal and newborn healthcare settings is limited. This study sheds light on power dynamics and factors that affect whistleblowing.