Views being sought over NHS whistleblower move

The views of NHS staff are being sought as par t of a consultation on plans to address how whistle-blowers are treated.

H o l y r o o d ’s h e a l t h a n d s p o r t c o mmi t t e e r a i s e d concerns last year, as part of its inquiry into how NHS staff are managed, that the current arrangements for whi s t l e - b l owe r s a r e n o t adequately robust.

In its report, the committee said significant changes would be needed to ensure concerns can be raised by staff, with a third found to be unwilling to speak up.

Fea r s a mong s t a f f t h a t they could be blacklisted when looking for a new job if they had been a whistleblower were also raised as part of the inquiry. A prop o s a l h a s b e e n p u t f o r - ward by the Scottish Government which would see the S cottish Public S er vi c e O m b u d s m a n a c t a s the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer for Scotland’s NHS.