The NHS Employers organisation provides guidance to support the development of whistleblowing policies and procedures in the NHS. We will be working closely with the Royal Mencap Society, announced as the new service provider of the national NHS whistleblowing helpline from 1 January 2012.
Tools and resources for NHS employers
For information about published whistleblowing guidance, answers to frequently asked questions and materials to assist you in delivering internal communications please visit our tools and resources pages.
Speak up for a healthy NHS
It is our view that staff will only feel assured and will have the confidence to act, where employers work in partnership with trade unions to firmly embed good employment practice for handling concerns about risk, wrong-doing or malpractice. Employers should adopt an honest and transparent approach to reporting errors internally with their staff, wherever possible and practical to do so, and embed this as part of the organisation’s culture. Adopting this type of holistic approach helps to create an environment which is conducive to promoting a climate of openness and where staff can feel comfortable in raising concerns, reasonably and responsibly, without fear of exposure or victimisation.
See our UK employment practice latest news page for updates and alerts about developments on our work programme. You can also find further information about our support tools by visiting our tools and resources section.
Information for NHS staff
Information and guidance for NHS staff is available from the national whistleblowing helpline provided by the Royal Mencap Society.
On 1 January the helpline number changed to 08000 724 725, advice can also be sought via email at enquiries@wbhelpline.org.uk.
The service provides free, confidential advice for NHS staff who witness wrongdoing at work but who are unsure whether or not to raise their concern. It can be used to assist individuals to identify how best to raise their concern, and for advise on their rights under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA).
Additional guidance and support has also been provided for staff by a number of Regulatory Bodies, as follows:
Public Concern at Work (PCaW), the independent whistleblowing charity, continues to offer advice, however they are no longer commissioned by the Department of Health to provide the national NHS helpline.