The head of the Office of Special Counsel, Carolyn N. Lerner, issued a scathing criticism of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the recent scandal surrounding late and poor care for veterans.

In a letter addressed to President Obama, Ms. Lerner strongly condemned the way that the Department of Veterans Affairs handled the situation.

“The VA, and particularly the VA’s Office of the Medical Inspector has consistently used a ‘harmless error’ defense, where the department acknowledges problems but claims patient care is unaffected,” said Ms. Lerner in the letter to President Obama on Monday. “This approach has prevented the VA from acknowledging the severity of systemic problems and from taking the necessary steps to provide quality care to veterans…As a result, veterans’ health and safety has been unnecessarily put at risk.”

Lerner’s office is now investigating fifty cases from Veterans Affairs whistleblowers complaining of harm to patient health or safety.

“In the fantasy land inhabited by VA’s Office of the Medical Inspector, serious patient safety issues apparently have no impact on patient safety,” said Representative Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, in a statement. “It’s impossible to solve problems by whitewashing them or denying they exist.”

One specific instance of negligence cited in the letter is that of Fort Collins, Colorado, which resulted in some 3,000 veterans being unable to reschedule a cancelled appointment.

Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan Gibson responded to Lerner’s recommendations and ordered a full review of her recommendations to be completed within the next two weeks.

Gibson has also reassured that whistleblowers would be protected from any potential retaliation.

“Intimidation or retaliation against whistle-blowers — or any employee who raises a hand to identify a legitimate problem, make a suggestion, or report what may be a violation of law, policy or our core values — is absolutely unacceptable,” said Gibson in a statement.