The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, in his role as the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer, has today published a report of his investigation into a whistleblowing complaint about delays and variability of care for patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma.
The Ombudsman found that the NHS Board’s response lacked sufficient detail. They had not taken reasonable steps to introduce a dedicated hepatocellular carcinoma pathway, and their recommendation to monitor staging scan times would not address risks of wider systemic delay across the full patient pathway.
Although they upheld C’s concerns, they did not act quickly enough to develop and implement an action plan to manage the risks.
NHS Lothian have been asked to apologise, review and develop the full patient pathway putting in place a clear improvement plan with responsibilities, measures and timescales.
The Ombudsman, Paul McFadden, said:
“This report highlights the importance of taking whistleblowing concerns seriously, investigating them fully, and acting quickly where risks to patient safety are identified.
While the NHS Board has made some improvements, further action is needed to improve the patient pathway and handling of concerns, and to ensure staff feel supported when they speak up.”