The NHS must adopt a much more open culture rather than one of blame and punishment, Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA, has told the association’s annual conference in Liverpool.

Commenting on the case of Margaret Haywood, the nurse who was struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council for taking part in a whistleblowing Panorama television programme, Dr Meldrum said that such cases “send out completely the wrong message to those health professionals who might want to speak out about unacceptable conditions in their workplace.”

He added: “We will not tolerate a substandard service for our patients, and we will not tolerate a culture of muzzling or bullying of our staff.”

George Rae, a GP from …