Consultant who doesn’t play the blame game wins OBE
Neurologist Jenny Vaughan has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List.
Jenny has been a familiar face at the hospital trust for nearly 20 years and recently switched to a training role helping support the development of young doctors at Ealing Hospital.
She has been an ardent supporter of ‘Just Culture’ in the NHS which supports an open and fair workplace where staff shouldn’t be afraid to speak up if something goes wrong for fear of reprisals.
As a result, Jenny led a successful appeal against the manslaughter conviction of consultant surgeon Mr David Sellu and assisted with the restoration to clinical practice of paediatrician Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garb.
Jenny said: “I am truly humbled and grateful that our work on ‘Just Culture’ has been recognised. I accept this award on behalf of everyone who supported the journey to overturn what happened to David and Hadiz and, more recently, seeking basic standards of fairness in the workplace for international medical graduates and anyone under unfair sanction.
“Our ‘Learn Not Blame’ campaign at the Doctors’ Association calls for renewal of the core values in the NHS that promote learning from adverse events and prioritise fairness, openness and the wellbeing of both patients and health care professionals.”