Jenny Vaughan

Time: 12:20PM – 12:50PM

Topic: How should we change the Blame Culture

Biography: 

Jenny Vaughan, 50, is a consultant neurologist in London. She is a law and policy lead at The Doctor’s  Association UK (DAUK) as well as being a leading campaigner for reforming the law on gross negligence manslaughter when applied to those working in healthcare. She articulated the unease many people felt at the conviction of the surgeon David Sellu and, as campaign chair for his appeal, was instrumental in getting his conviction overturned. Along with Sellu’s legal team she is widely credited for having modernised the law in this area. She has also spoken on behalf of DAUK to multiple media outlets and published widely-read articles about Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba and ‘Just Culture.”

Dr Vaughan’s contributions helped shape the conclusions of the Williams review in June 2018.1 She co-founded the first open access medical manslaughter website for healthcare professionals.  She now campaigns through DAUK for a “just culture” in healthcare and works to highlight the negative effects of the Blame Culture. She wishes to see significant improvements to patient safety by working with DAUK and other patient safety organisations.

In 2018 she received the BMJ editor’s award for speaking truth to power. She recently completed an invited lecture tour of Australasia where she spoke widely on the importance of a Just Culture in healthcare globally.