NHS Fife supports and encourages a culture where all staff, including people who provide services on behalf of the Health Board (volunteers, contractors and independent/private sector partners), feel able to ‘Speak Up’ about issues which cause them concern in their daily working lives. NHS Fife supports an approach where ‘Speaking Up’ becomes part of everyday practice, where staff feel listened to, valued and involved in learning and improving together.
Raising a concern
Working in the NHS is a complex business and sometimes staff need extra support and reassurance to raise concerns about risks to patient safety and the effective delivery of services. To help navigate this complexity, we can refer to the National Whistleblowing Standards which were implemented and adopted across NHS Scotland in 2021. The Standards provide guidance and processes for all NHS service providers in Scotland to follow when concerns are raised with them. These standards:
- apply to all services provided by, or on behalf of, NHS Scotland.
- must be accessible to all those working in these services, whether they are directly employed by the NHS or by a contracted organisation.
- apply to students, trainees and volunteers.
What is whistleblowing?
Whistleblowing is an issue of concern which is in the public interest to resolve.
It can relate to an issue which has already happened, is currently happening or is likely to happen and which affects the public, other staff or the NHS service provider or organisation.
It relates to risks which cause or have the potential to cause harm.
Whistleblowing is not about raising grievances as these tend to be about people’s individual circumstances and therefore relate to more general HR management processes.
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What Type of Concerns Might Require People to Speak Up and Use the Whistleblowing Procedure?
Concerns might include:
- patient-care issues
- poor practice
- unsafe working conditions
- fraud (theft, corruption, bribery or embezzlement)
- changing or falsifying information about performance
- breaking any legal obligation
- abusing authority
- deliberately trying to cover up any of the above.
The Whistleblowing process should be seen as an avenue for staff to raise concerns which cannot be dealt with through ‘business as usual processes’, or concerns which have serious consequences.
What are Business as Usual (BaU) Processes?
When issues of concern arise, or risks are identified, staff usually speak up to raise them with their immediate line manager – a daily business as usual process which aims to identify, manage and improve any risks or concerns through existing safety reporting procedures. This is usually successful with no detriment or repercussions for the person raising the concern.
Business as Usual can be summarised as:
- Raising concerns as part of everyday processes for ensuring safe delivery of NHS services
- Resolving concerns in real time where possible
- Actively pursuing timely resolution
- Being an appropriate method of management for the person raising the concern
- Not being part of formal whistleblowing procedures but an important precursor to the process
Remember that NHS Fife has a wide range of opportunities for staff to seek support, advice or raise concerns. For example, line manager, HR manager or Trade Union representative for any employee concerns.
For concerns about health and wellbeing contacts include Spiritual Care, Occupational Health, Peer Support and the Speak Up Co-ordinator.
When Should Someone Raise a Whistleblowing Concern?
The Whistleblowing procedure is set out in the National Whistleblowing Standards (2021) and should normally only be accessed if:
- no other procedure or processes are being used
- an existing procedure or process has been used but has not resulted in the outcome the person raising the concern expected
- the person raising the concern asks for the whistleblowing procedure to be used
It is important to note that concerns should be raised within six months of first becoming aware of the issue to which the concern relates (see separate information on How to raise a Whistleblowing concern).
Who can raise a concern?
It’s important to remember that anyone who provides services for the NHS can raise a concern under the Whistleblowing Standards even after the event has taken place. People who can raise a concern include:
- Current and former employees
- Contractors
- Students
- Volunteers
- Agency workers (including locums and bank staff)
- Managers/Senior Managers
- Non-Executive Directors
- Anyone providing NHS services in the Health & Social Care Partnership
The Standards offer concerns to be raised and heard within 12 months of the initial issue being highlighted, although it’s better to share the issues as soon as they happen. In the first instance it is always best to raise concerns informally with the relevant line manager to enable a prompt solution to be found, however this might not always be possible depending on the individual situation. If staff feel unable to speak to their senior teams, there are a number of different staff support options available in NHS Fife (peer support; spiritual care; occupational health; HR; staff group wellbeing; staff psychological therapies service and confidential contacts).
Who's who in whistleblowing?
If you would like to ‘Speak up’ about issues that concern you in your daily working life, NHS Fife fully supports you to do so. There are a number of ways you can seek guidance or raise a specific issue and there are individuals in place to help you raise and discuss your concern. See the list of staff roles and contact details below who can be approached for advice and guidance.
Further help can also be sought from the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer (INWO) who reports directly to Scottish government. The INWO can be contacted directly by any member of staff or public for general advice and guidance (see direct details in the highlighted link above).
Speak Up/Whistleblowing Coordinator
To support staff who want to Speak Up, raise a concern or seek guidance about a specific issue, NHS Fife has a dedicated, confidential Speak Up/Whistleblowing Coordinator.
Debbie McGirr was appointed to this role in September 2024. Having spent her entire career in adult and paediatric nursing, working as a clinician and manager across acute and community settings before moving into nurse education, she has a passion for supporting all staff to provide the very best care possible for patients and their fellow team members.
Debbie can be contacted via a confidential, dedicated Speak Up email: fife.speak-up@nhs.scot There is also a confidential and dedicated voicemail service where staff can leave a message: 01383 674016. This service is monitored Monday-Friday.
Executive Lead for Whistleblowing
NHS Fife Executive Lead for Whistleblowing is the Chief Executive, Carol Potter. Carol is fully committed to listening to and engaging with staff, encouraging them to have regular conversations with their managers and senior staff to Speak Up about successes and challenges in their daily work.
Non-Executive Whistleblowing Champion
This post is currently under recruitment for NHS Fife.
Sources of support – Confidential Contacts
In addition to the wide range of staff support options available to NHS Fife staff such as Peer Support, Spiritual Care, Occupational Health, Trade Union representatives & Psychology services, we also have a group of staff who have been trained to be Confidential Contacts. This role is a core support mechanism for the raising of all concerns, and particularly if the concern relates to Whistleblowing. Confidential Contacts are able to provide:
- informal signposting and support to staff
- a safe, confidential space for staff to discuss their concern
- advice about how to raise a concern via the most appropriate route
- help for staff to make informed decisions about what actions they might want to take forward
- ongoing support for all stages of the Whistleblowing procedure
NHS Fife’s Confidential Contacts are based across a range of clinical and non-clinical services in both acute and primary care settings.
For further details on Confidential Contacts across all services, please email the Speak Up / Whistleblowing inbox: fife.speak-up@nhs.scot.
Supporting Students and Trainees
The Whistleblowing standards apply to all students and trainees, whether they are on a professionally regulated route of study or focusing on internships and apprenticeships. Although they will have dedicated support from their individual universities/colleges/NHS Education for Scotland, they are also entitled to the same support and investigation mechanisms as permanent members of staff under the Whistleblowing standards.