Forth Valley NHS Board

Case ref: 202301375

NHS Organisation: Forth Valley NHS Board

Subject: Speak up culture, detriment, concerns handling

Date: April 2025

This is the report of the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer’s (INWO’s) investigation of a whistleblowing complaint about patient safety and the handling of a whistleblowing concern. It is published in terms of section 15(1) of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002 which sets out the INWO’s role and powers. There is more information about this here: https://inwo.spso.org.uk/ 

Supported by the confidential appendices, it is a full and fair summary of the investigation.

Executive summary 

1. The complainant (C) complained to the INWO about NHS Forth Valley (the Board). C was involved in a whistleblowing investigation carried out by the Board under the National Whistleblowing Standards.
2. The complaint I have investigated is:
   1. the Board failed to create and maintain a culture that values and acts on concerns raised by staff in the Women and Children's Directorate (upheld)
   2. the Board unreasonably failed to handle C's concerns in line with the National Whistleblowing Standards (upheld)
   3. the Board failed to protect C from detriment associated with speaking up (including under business as usual arrangements) (upheld)
3. As a result of my findings, the Board have been asked to implement a number of recommendations, and to consider and reflect on other feedback.
4. My investigation also identified a number of areas of good practice by the Board, which has been included in my feedback.