MONY o ye’se wull hae mind o the huge public scandal at Mid-Staffs NHS. Auld fowk wir mistreated oan an epic scale; fowk dee’d frae neglect an there wis sic a public outcry that a national inquiry wis held. This wis chaired bi the eminent Englis QC, Sir Robert Francis.

Follaein the publication o his damning report inti Mid-Staffs a wheen o fowk goat their P45s; the director o nursing wis gien a five-year caution an wis struck aff the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. Ane o the optimistic ootcomes o the Francis Report o December 2013 wis the wise deceesion tae create whistleblowing champions in aa the health boards in the UK. E’en tho this wis a braw initiative they wir gey slaw tae implement this in Scotland. It taen aamaist twa years afore oor whistleblowing champions taen up post. Ah chased this up as best ah cuid.

Sir Robert Francis wis clear in hou he waantit these posts fill’t. He recommended that:

lWB Guardian posts should be dedicated roles. lWB Guardian roles should not be on top of people’s existing duties. lWB Guardians must be recognised by all as independent and impartial.

Ah wis led tae believe that the posts fir whistleblowing champions wid be publicly advertised. Masel an the guid fowk o Action for a Safe and Accountable People's NHS in Scotland (ASAP NHS) sat back an waited ... an waited ... fir the champions tae arrive.

Ah e’en wrote tae ma auld employers NHS Ayrshire and Arran (NHS A&A) expressin ma ain weesh tae be conseidert fir sic a role when the poseetion cam up. Wha cuid be mair suitable fir sic a role than an actual NHS whistleblower?

Ah goat a reply frae NHS A&A tellin me that the post hud aareadies bin fill’t!? Hou cuid that be ah speirt, ah’d ne’er seen the post publicly advertised? Then the hale ugly story cam spillin oot... It seems that the posts o whistleblowing champions in the NHS in Scotland wir ne’er advertised publicly ava. A sleekit letter frae Paul Gray, the Scottish Government's director general of health and Social Care, wis sent oot tae aa the territorial health boards. Ah askt fir an wis gien a copy o this letter. Whit hud heppent wis that evri Scottish health board hud bin instructed tae pit ane o their aareadies existin non-executive directors intae the post o WB champion! NHS warkers hud bin luikin forrit tae seein fowk in these posts that they cuid trust, pit their faith in, an directly raise their patient safety concerns wi.

Gray’s letter states that the whistleblowing champion would "not be expected to be the sole point for staff" (sic), or to become directly involved in the operation of the whistleblowing policy; nor wid they be expected tae ‘investigate cases’.

They wid alsae anely publicise "positive outcomes and experiences". Nae negative stuff in oor NHS! A frien wrote tae their employing health board tae ask wha their whistleblowing champion wis; the health board widnae tell thaim! They said the role o the whistleblowing champion wisnae fir direct contact from members of staff. Sae here we hae a whistleblowing champion that ye’re no allowed tae contact directly aboot whistleblowing issues; wha’ll no become directly involved in the operation o whistleblowing policy; an arenae responsible fir ‘investigating cases’?

Mibbes fowk shuid write directly tae Paul Gray an ask juist whit the hell is it that these whistleblowing champions are daein fir their money. Ah hae sent FOI rquests tae aa the Scottish health boards askin thaim if their WB guardian post is a dedicated role; are they cairryin oot the role oan tap o their existin duties; an wir these appointments "independent and impartial". Ah think ye can aareadies guess the answers tae these questions.

Tae a man (or wumman) it seems evri wan o these roles hus bin fillt bi an existin non-executive director. This is oan tap o their existin duties. The appointments wur nae mair "independent or impartial" as flee in the air! Ah hae written tae Sir Robert Francis anent this an await his reply. Ah hae alsae written tae aa the main health service unions askin thaim tae jyne wi ASAP NHS in condemnin these outrageous appointments that flee directly in the face o the recommendations that Sir Robert Francis pit forrit in his laundmark report. An hou did the likes o Unison, Unite, the Royal College of Nursing an the BMA respond? Not wan o thaim haes cam forrit tae condemn these appointments. Why wid the unions be sae sweir tae speik oot anent this scandal? Weel, o coorse this deal wis duin in collusion wi the unions unner the auspices o the Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance (SWAG) Committee. Wir ony workers asked gin they wir in favour o this? Ask yer union, comrades!

Sae whit help an support can whistleblowers actually expeck frae their employers, the NHS? Weel, they wull tell ye tae phone the National Confidential Alert Line. This is a thing run bi the organisation Public Concern at Work. An whit wull they dae? Why, they wull tell ye tae raise yer concerns wi yer employer – the actual organisation that ye’re raisin concerns aboot! These foxes in charge of the chicken coops, the whistleblowing chumps, micht then tak an interest in yer case. Wull they be fair, independent an impartial in ony investigation? Aye, right!

The bottom line is the NHS, the Government, politicians (o ony pairty), the unions, professional bodies, etc, dinna gie a toss aboot whistleblowers – else, whit are they daein aboot this?