A ”whistleblower” hotline is to be set up for NHS Scotland staff to report bullying, harassment and bad practice.
The confidential phone line, which will be launched next spring as part of a year-long pilot scheme, was announced by the Scottish Government.
First Minister Alex Salmond and Health Secretary Alex Neil said the service, dubbed the National Confidential Alert Line, will be delivered by an independent organisation to ensure complaints are dealt with confidentially and impartially.
Mr Neil said: ”We are clear all health boards must continue to listen to staff to ensure that any areas of concern are investigated. Learning from mistakes makes sure that health boards are providing the best service possible to patients. This new alert line will help to make sure that happens.
”It is vitally important that NHS workers feel safe enough to raise any concern they may have and I will not tolerate any bullying in our NHS.
”We already have very strict preventing bullying and harassment policies in NHS Scotland and this will ensure they are enforced as well as providing even more support for our staff.”
At First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Mr Salmond said action was being taken after a national investigation revealed 345 NHS reports into bad practice from last year which were previously kept secret.
He said: ”At our instruction, Healthcare Improvement Scotland has begun a systematic review of adverse events management across the NHS boards.
”Once these views are completed they will outline a national approach to reporting, measuring and learning from the adverse events of last year.
”I can also confirm today that we will be piloting a confidential alert line for NHS staff who wish to raise concern about practices in NHS Scotland.”
Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: ”We called for a whistleblowers’ helpline in December, February and in May, so I am delighted that the First Minister has come to the chamber to announce that there will be one.”
She called for assurance that the helpline will be independent from the NHS and guidance on how Parliament can monitor the follow-up from the helpline.
Mr Salmond said the helpline will be independent, saying the protection of those who want to reveal bad practices must be part of a confident NHS.
Any concerns that NHS Scotland employees raise will be passed on to the relevant regulatory organisation for investigation.
Regulators will include Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Audit Scotland, Health and Safety Executive, General Medical Council, Nursing Midwifery Council, among others.