Кардиолог, уволенный за разоблачение проблем безопасности пациентов в NHS, публикует мемуары

THE first cardiologist appointed at West Cumberland Hospital is publishing a memoir charting both his medical career and the personal ordeal that followed his 'whistleblowing' within the NHS. Dr Lance Forbat, who served as a consultant cardiologist at the Whitehaven hospital from 1995 to 2002, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help fund the self-publication of his book Ungagged – The Sons of Bevan. Dr Forbat says the memoir traces his journey from establishing the region’s first full cardiology service to facing the challenges that he said followed after he raised concerns about patient safety. “When I arrived in 1995, there wasn’t a local cardiology service at all,” Dr Forbat recalled. “I was tasked with building one from scratch for the 137,000 residents of West Cumbria. "It was an enormous undertaking, but within seven years, we had a fully functioning department that still serves the region today.” Under his leadership, Dr Forbat says the hospital developed a state-of-the-art non-invasive cardiovascular laboratory, introduced open-access treadmill tests for GPs, and began a North Cumbrian mobile echocardiography service – the first of its kind in the area. Dr Forbat said he also helped introduce cardiac pacing locally and set up digital image transfers between West Cumberland Hospital and its tertiary centre in Middlesbrough, innovations that helped modernise care. “My greatest satisfaction came from knowing that patients no longer had to travel long distances for essential tests and procedures,” he said. “We built a service that gave people in West Cumbria access to high-quality cardiac care right on their doorstep.” Dr Forbat moved to Weston-super-Mare and worked in a hospital there, but was dismissed after what he claims was 'raising concerns about patient safety' - and now sees himself as an NHS whistleblower. He describes the period that followed as 'a long wilderness'. “I lost my income, my professional standing, and the career I had devoted my life to.” Through his memoir, he said he hopes to shed light on what he calls “the human cost of speaking out”, and to help drive reform. “I want readers to understand what it feels like to walk in a whistleblower’s shoes,” Dr Forbat said. Now, more than two decades later, his memoir aims to bring that story to light. A spokesperson at North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) said: "We are committed to fostering an open and supportive culture in which every member of staff feels able to speak up about any concerns they may have. "Speaking up is an integral part of keeping patients safe, and we actively encourage colleagues to raise issues so they can be addressed promptly, fairly, and transparently."