Lothian NHS Board

Case ref: 202301159

NHS organisation: Lothian NHS Board

Subject: Management practice

Date: October 2024

This is the report of the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer’s (INWO) investigation of a complaint about 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 public and confidential appendices, it is a full and fair summary of the investigation.

Executive summary

1. The complainant (C) complained to the INWO about Lothian NHS Board (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 take a reasonably patient centred approach to managing reductions in waiting times in a service (upheld)  
   2. the Board failed to reasonably engage with clinical staff in a service about new measures to reduce waiting times (upheld)
   3. the Board failed to handle the whistleblower’s concern in accordance with the Standards (upheld)
3. To address my findings, the Board have been asked to implement a number of recommendations, and consider and reflect on other feedback, particularly in relation to compliance with the National Whistleblowing Standards.