Protect welcomes new trustee and employment lawyer David Widdowson, who has extensive whistleblowing expertise, to the Protect Board.
David is a long-standing member of the Employment Lawyers Association, and a member and subsequent chair of a working party which commented on the two abortive private members bills and then on the bill which became the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. Comments at the consultative stage were influential in the ultimate drafting of the bill and formed the basis of a very successful relationship with the DTi, now BEIS (Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy). He also has trustee experience.
He said, “I am really pleased to be able to offer my support to Protect which does such important work. I believe I can bring to the board strong technical knowledge of the law relating to whistleblowing, extensive experience in its practical application as well as relevant experience of acting as a trustee.”
David, has advised a number of NHS Trusts and other public sector bodies on implementation of whistleblowing procedures and has also advised individual whistleblowers. He was instructed by NHS London to investigate allegations connected with the Baby P case made by a senior clinician from the trust concerned.
Protect Chief Executive Francesca West said, “We are delighted to welcome David aboard as a trustee. His extensive knowledge and expertise in employment law and whistleblowing is going to be invaluable to our work and will help us support more whistleblowers to safely raise concerns.”