This month, the INWO is publishing a report on an investigation into the handling of a concern raised about a Board’s changes to the way patients accessed a service. The Board did this to try to reduce long waiting times, but did so without consulting with patients or staff. This potentially put some patients who weren’t able to engage with the new system at risk. The changes also increased pressure on staff and created risks of burnout.
The concern was raised under the Whistleblowing Standards, and was then escalated to the INWO. This case underlined how important it is to:
- listen to feedback and concerns from staff as part of business as usual and respond appropriately (which may often avoid the need for whistleblowing).
- gather sufficient information at the start of a whistleblowing investigation to come to a shared understanding of the whistleblower’s concerns and what will be investigated.
- ensure that the investigation addresses all of the issues the organisation said it will investigate.
If you would like to discuss any of the above, please get in touch at [email protected].