NHS head's pledge to protect whistleblowers thrown into doubt This suggests that there may be few circumstances in which Sir David could protect a whistleblower, as new government rules say all NHS trusts must become foundation trusts by April 2014, and are therefore beyond his powers to intervene. One whistleblower, Dr "A," who was forced to sign a gagging clause and spoke out about her experiences to Channel 4 despite the risk of legal action, said she repeatedly complained about staffing levels which she believed were putting her patients' lives at risk. She said that low staffing levels meant her elderly patients were sometimes left in soiled bedding, with food left in trays out of their reach and catheter bags not emptied, while their buzzers were ignored, and some had fallen over when they tried to get up. She said she was bullied by a manager, told she was mentally ill, falsely accused of being abusive, and then she was suspended. After two years in limbo, the doctor was given a compromise agreement, which she felt she had no choice but to sign. "That money feels dirty," said Dr "A," adding that she wouldn't mind if they took away her payment as punishment for speaking out if it improved patient care. "These elderly people are like my own parents, and if I walked away and didn't raise any questions, I would be betraying them," she said. She revealed the document she signed, which contains the legally required Public Interest Disclosure Act clause that is meant to protect whistleblowers who speak out on matters of patient safety, but which also includes another paragraph stating she cannot speak out about any matters brought to her attention during to her time as an employee.