Ford left HSIB and took them to an employment tribunal. She lost her case for constructive dismissal but won most of her grievances at HSIB’s internal process.
An independent report concluded she should have been treated as a whistleblower, and that there was a bullying culture at HSIB.
“When I heard about Yeovil closing, it was another validation for my case,” she said.
“You would have hoped there’d have been a process where CQC (the Care Quality Commission) would have gone in sooner and HSIB would have escalated sooner.
“I ended up very unwell because of what I’ve been put through.”
Ford said she suffered a “moral injury”, adding: “As many NHS whistleblowers will realise, you hit a brick wall… for doing my job and being honest.”
Yeovil District Hospital said it strived to have an open culture in which staff and patients felt safe, supported, and heard.
“We recognise we have not always got that right,” a spokesperson added.
The HSIB became the HSSIB during a transition period from April 2022 and October 2023.
Its maternity investigations moved to The Maternity and Newborn Safety Investigations, which is overseen by the CQC. Both organisations declined to comment.