“Citizens need to be trusted with the truth rather than misleadingly reassured. Government in a democracy should trust its citizens to know the facts which government knows, unless there is a proper reason for secrecy.” These are words taken directly from the Infected Blood Inquiry report that has been published today.
There is so much in the report that we need to really stop and acknowledge, and act upon and ensure that it leads to fundamental change. Not least because there are striking similarities with many other people seeking answers through public inquiries. But before all that today is very much a moment to reflect on the people who are at the heart of this terrible situation.
It is vital that we recognise that every single number related to the Infected Blood Scandal relates to a person with family and friends. Every single number is a person whose life has been affected by what happened. The numbers need to be used so that everyone can understand the scale of it but we should never forget the real experiences that they represent.
Sir Brian Langstaff has talked today of ‘institutional defensiveness’ and called for an end to the defensive culture that exists within government. The same can also be said of all organisations and particularly those in the public sector. The duty of candour has existed in the NHS for a long time and is now extended to the police. But perhaps this is a time to review those requirements and ensure that people working in institutions really understand what it means.
Sadly, the Infected Blood Scandal is only the latest disaster where ‘cover up’ has been confirmed or suspected. We all wait for the publication of the Horizon IT (Post Office) Inquiry, the Covid-19 Inquiry and the Grenfell Inquiry. As many on social media have pointed out the comments in the report today could be applied to other public inquiries. There was an interesting article on Radio 4 this weekend about whether public inquiries were having an impact. I have been questioning that myself.
In relation to communication alone the same issues and problems keep emerging despite reports where people say they are learning the lessons. There is a loss of knowledge and experience over the years and those brought in don’t understand the necessity and importance of the actions that had been highlighted for implementation. It is a continued source of frustration for me that we don’t act and we don’t learn from the experiences of others. Every report should lead to change not just in the area of business that was at the centre of it but for others. ‘Institutional defensiveness’ should not exist in local government, emergency services, housing, education or other areas. How we address this is a challenge no one seems to want to take forward.
Governments, organisations and institutions need to review how they approach communication and how they deal with crises, issues and problems. If PR and communication staff are being told to embark on a ‘cover up’ it needs to be exposed. And as the quote from the report highlights, there needs to be an honesty so that people are told the truth even when it is challenging, problematic and upsetting. As the report states “Citizens need to be told rather than reassured.”
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