Information and advice about what options are available, whether it is appropriate to deal with a concern under this procedure, or what to expect, are available from:
- the board’s confidential contact for raising concerns or other speak-up representative
- the INWO (phone 0800 008 6112 or email [email protected]), who can provide information and advice about how a concern should be handled, and can provide support through the process
- union representatives
- professional bodies
- university representatives (for students)
- NHS Education Scotland (for trainee doctors and dentists)
- volunteer coordinators (for volunteers)
Anyone raising a concern may also be able to get support from other organisations, such as:
- their employer’s occupational health service
- employee assistance programme
- chaplaincy services
- Protect
Contact details for support agencies, regulators and professional bodies can be found in the drop-down menu below.
Contact details for support agencies, regulators and professional bodies
Here are some suggestions of organisations who may be able help and support you with your concern:
| Organisation | Contact No | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Professions Federation | 0131 226 5250 | Providing collective leadership and representation on common issues that impact its members' professions. |
| 01786 476040 | Supporting members through advice and education, and representing their interests. | |
| 0300 123 1233 | Represents, supports and negotiates on behalf of all UK doctors and medical students. | |
| 0345 600 9537 | A scrutiny body which supports improvement. They look at the quality of care in Scotland to ensure it meets high standards. | |
| 020 7167 6000 | An independent organisation which regulates dentists and dental care professionals in the UK. They set dental standards, hold a register of qualified dental professionals, quality assure education and investigate concerns about treatment or conduct. | |
| 0161 923 6602 | They help to protect patients and improve medical education and practice in the UK by setting standards for students and doctors. They support them in achieving and exceeding those standards, and take action when they are not met. | |
| 020 3713 8000 | A regulator of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies in Great Britain. They work to assure and improve standards of care for people using pharmacy services. | |
| 020 7580 3898 | One of 13 organisations in the UK known as health and social care regulators. These organisations oversee the health and social care professions by regulating individual professionals. They are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. | |
| 0300 500 6184 | Regulator of 15 health and care professions. They set standards for professionals' education, training and practice, keep a register of professionals known as 'registrants' who meet their standards and take action if professionals on their register do not meet their standards. | |
| 0131 623 4602 | Enabling experiences of the best quality of health and social care. Enabling people to make informed decisions about their care and treatment, helping health and social care organisations to redesign and continuously improve services, provide evidence and share knowledge that enables people to get the best out of services and helps services improve, provide quality assurance that gives people confidence in the services and supports providers to improve. | |
| 0333 043 444 | A mutual defence organisation offering access to expert medico-legal and dento-legal advice and professional indemnity for doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals across the UK. | |
| 0800 136 759 | Protecting and supporting the professional interests of doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals. Their in-house experts can assist members with the wide range of legal and ethical problems that can arise from their professional practice. This can include assistance with clinical negligence claims, complaints, medical and dental council inquiries, legal and ethical dilemmas, disciplinary procedures, inquests and fatal accident inquiries. | |
| 0131 313 8777 | Carrying out statutory duties under the Mental Health and the Adults with Incapacity Acts by visiting people, monitoring the Acts, investigations, information and advice, and influencing and challenging. | |
| 0131 656 3200 | An education and training body and a national health board within NHS Scotland. They are responsible for developing and delivering healthcare education and training for the NHS, health and social care sector and other public bodies. They also have a Scotland-wide role in undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development. | |
| 0800 0086112 | An independent confidential advice line and information service delivered by the SPSO. | |
| 01506 705200 | Working in partnership with all of the NHS in Scotland, they protect Scotland’s health from the impact of financial crime. They provide a comprehensive counter fraud service with a team of experienced specialists, dedicated only to counter fraud work. They provide counter fraud guidance and advice, raising awareness of fraud, ensuring that robust systems are in place and analysing data to identify risks. Where fraud is identified, they ensure that relevant sanctions are applied wherever appropriate. | |
| 020 7637 7181 | A professional regulator for nurses and midwives in the UK, and nursing associates in England. | |
| 0141 202 0610 | A non-profit making organisation representing the views of the optical sector in Scotland, including Optometrists, Dispensing Opticians and Optical Bodies Corporate, to the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government Health Directorates and other relevant stakeholders. | |
| 0303 123 1115 | The UK's independent body set up to uphold information rights with a role to uphold information rights in the public interest. | |
| 020 3117 2520 | Protect aims to make whistleblowing work for individuals, organisations and society. They provide an advice line which supports whistleblowers from any organisation to decide what action they should take when they see wrongdoing at work. | |
| 020 7092 1500 | Ensuring the quality of patient care by safeguarding standards in the three specialties of anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine. | |
| 020 7404 1999 | Working to ensure high quality care for patients by setting and monitoring standards of care in emergency departments, as well as providing expert guidance and advice on policy to relevant bodies on matters relating to Emergency Medicine. | |
| 020 3188 7400 | They encourage, foster and maintain the highest possible standards in general medical practice. They support GPs through all stages of their career, from medical students considering general practice, through to training, qualified years and retirement. | |
| The Royal College of Midwives | 0300 303 0444 | The RCM represents the interests of midwives in all four UK countries individually and collectively. A professional organisation and trade union dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. |
| Royal College of Nursing Scotland | 0345 772 6100 | Campaigning on issues of concern to nurses and patients, influencing health policies and promoting excellence in nursing practice on behalf of their members. |
| 020 7772 6200 | Setting standards for clinical practice, providing doctors with training and lifelong learning, and advocating for women’s health care worldwide. | |
| 020 3770 5331 | Training, education and assessment of ophthalmologists and supporting the promotion of research and innovation throughout the ophthalmic community. | |
| 020 7092 6000 | Postgraduate medical education, professional standards, research and policy. | |
| 020 7451 6700 | The Royal College of Pathologists is a professional membership organisation with charitable status, concerned with all matters relating to the science and practice of pathology. It is a body of its Fellows, Affiliates and trainees, supported by the staff who are based at the College's London offices. | |
| 0131 225 7324 | Supporting physicians throughout their career to enable them to deliver the highest standards of healthcare to patients. | |
| 0141 221 6072 | A worldwide community of inspiring health professionals working together to advance the profession and improve patient care. | |
| 020 7235 2351 | The professional medical body responsible for supporting psychiatrists throughout their careers from training through to retirement, and in setting and raising standards of psychiatry in the United Kingdom. | |
| 020 7405 1282 | The Royal College of Radiologists works with their members to improve the standard of practice across the fields of radiology and oncology | |
| 0131 527 1600 | Championing the highest standards of surgical and dental practice through their provision of courses, educational programmes, training, examinations, and Continuous Professional Development, liaison with external medical bodies and by influencing healthcare policy across the UK. | |
| 0131 556 4386 | Promoting pharmacy in the media and government, leading the way in medicines information, and support pharmacists in their education and development. | |
| 0131 65 3200 | Promoting pharmacy in the media and government, leading the way in medicines information, and support pharmacists in their education and development. | |
| 0345 60 30 891 | Registering social service workers, setting standards for their practice, conduct, training and education and supporting their professional development. By doing this, they increase the protection of people who use services. Where people fall below the standards of practice and conduct they can investigate and take action. | |
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