Whistleblowing remains a significant source of fitness to practise concerns across healthcare professions

Overview 

• Whistleblowing remains an important route into fitness to practise investigations across UK healthcare professions.

• Recent data shows increases in whistleblowing disclosures across medicine, dentistry and nursing.

• Concerns most commonly relate to conduct, patient safety, dishonesty and workplace culture.

• In dentistry, all 138 whistleblowing disclosures received in 2025-26 resulted in a fitness to practise case being opened.

• The findings highlight the continuing importance of effective speaking-up cultures in protecting patients and maintaining public confidence.

Data published by UK health and social care regulators suggests that whistleblowing continues to play a significant role in identifying potential fitness to practise concerns across a range of regulated professions.

The latest annual whistleblowing disclosures reports show that concerns raised by healthcare professionals, colleagues and other workers remain an important source of regulatory intelligence, often highlighting issues relating to conduct, patient safety, dishonesty, workplace culture and professional standards.

The strongest link between whistleblowing and fitness to practise activity can be seen within dentistry. The General Dental Council (GDC) received 138 whistleblowing disclosures between April 2025 and March 2026, representing a 74% increase on the previous year. Every disclosure resulted in a fitness to practise case being opened, with conduct concerns accounting for two-thirds of all reports. Dental professionals themselves submitted 87 of the concerns, while anonymous disclosures rose sharply from six to 22.

In medicine, the General Medical Council (GMC) received 52 whistleblowing concerns during the same period, up from 45 in the previous year. Of these, 47 were reviewed by the fitness to practise team. Concerns covered matters including staffing arrangements, professional misconduct and dishonesty. Most cases were closed following initial assessment, though some progressed to preliminary or full investigation.

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The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) reported 159 qualifying whistleblowing disclosures in 2025-26, an increase on the 152 received the previous year. Common themes included unprofessional behaviour, management issues, dishonesty, patient care concerns, criminal behaviour, harassment, and health and safety issues. The regulator recorded 253 regulatory actions arising from these disclosures, with 148 concerns considered through the fitness to practise process. It also made 93 onward referrals to organisations better placed to address particular concerns.

These figures indicate that whistleblowing concerns frequently extend beyond individual clinical errors and often relate to wider organisational and professional issues. Across regulators, disclosures commonly involve concerns about conduct, integrity, workplace culture, leadership, patient safety and the management of services.

The reports, published jointly by the General Medical Council, General Dental Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Health and Care Professions Council, General Pharmaceutical Council, General Optical Council, General Osteopathic Council, General Chiropractic Council and Social Work England, highlight the continuing importance of effective speaking-up cultures. Regulators emphasise that workers should feel confident that concerns raised in the public interest will be taken seriously and assessed appropriately.

While only a proportion of whistleblowing disclosures ultimately result in sanctions or restrictions on practice, the data demonstrates that whistleblowing remains a significant pathway through which regulators become aware of potential risks. As healthcare organisations continue to focus on transparency and patient safety, the latest figures suggest that raising concerns remains a crucial safeguard within professional regulation across the UK.

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