No complaints to health trust whistleblowing system
A health trust has not received any complaints through its internal whistleblowing system in the first half of this year, and bosses find it “challenging” to explain why.
Like all English NHS bodies, Shropshire Community Health Trust has a designated “Freedom to Speak Up” Guardian and staff advocates, allowing their colleagues to raise and direct concerns.
In a report for the board, governance director Louise Brereton and deputy nursing director Alison Trumper write that no referrals were made between April and September, compared to five during the same period last year.
They note that the business year began at roughly the same time as the Covid-19 pandemic, and suggest the crisis may have strengthened teamwork and communication, but add that the upheavals within the NHS might have be expected to bring an increase in concerns.
The FTSU Guardian role transferred from Ms Trumper to Ms Brereton in August. Their co-authored report notes that the trust has nine FTSU advocates, a number “reflective of the size of the trust” and representing “a reasonably wide range of staff groups”.
“It is challenging to say why there have been few referrals during 2019-20 and none during 2020-21,” they write.
“It should be borne in mind that this period accounts for the Covid-19 pandemic to date and it could be suggested that working during this time has strengthened teams and managers have been able to deal directly with concerns and resolve these quickly.
“Anecdotally, the use of Microsoft Teams may have supported the timeliness and accessibility of managers and leaders leading to the quicker resolution of issues.
“Conversely, it could be asserted that working in such challenging conditions, including redeployment, should have resulted in an increase in concerns raised.”
Information from other sources has been examined to try to resolve this, Ms Brereton and Ms Trumper write.
“Anecdotally, it is known staff have spoken up about issues that concern them,” they say.
For example, the Care Quality Commission contacted the trust in September, saying it had received an anonymous bullying complaint from a community hospital.
“This pertained to some interpersonal relationship issues among a small number of staff members which the service manager was fully aware of and involved with and had invested time to support and resolve,” Ms Brereton and Ms Trumper write.
They add that a further allegation was received and investigated under the “dignity at work policy”, with “appropriate support put in place”.
They write that these cases “provide some assurance that staff are able to raise concerns”, but the lack of referrals to the FTSU Guardian “requires that a new strategy must be developed in response to ensure ongoing awareness and development of the role”. A report will update the trust on this in January.
Shropshire Community Health Trust runs services around the county including Bridgnorth and Ludlow hospitals, Bishops Castle and Whitchurch community hospitals and Oswestry Health Centre. Its board is due to meet remotely on Thursday, December 3.
