Case ref: 202208070
NHS organisation: Western Isles NHS Board
Date: October 2023
Summary
C complained about the outcome of a whistleblowing concern they had raised with the Board. The Board considered C's concern at both stage 1 and stage 2 of the National Whistleblowing Standards (the Standards) but did not uphold it. C was unhappy with the Board's response and complained to the INWO about the concern and the Board's handling of it.
We considered the information provided by the Board including their investigation file. We found that the issues of concern raised by C pre-dated the commencement of the Standards on 1 April 2021, and that these issues were, therefore, outside our jurisdiction and we had no locus to investigate.
C also asked us to consider the handling of the whistleblowing concern. We considered the information provided to us by C and the Board. Our decision is, on balance, to uphold C's complaint about the handling of the whistleblowing concern under the Standards.
As a result of our findings, the Board have been asked to consider and reflect on feedback in relation to compliance with the National Whistleblowing Standards.