DHSSPS: Whistle-blowing
Health, Social Services and Public Safety
2:45 pm
Paula Bradley (DUP)
4. asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what approach his Department takes to whistle-blowing by staff within the health service. (AQO 2212/11-15)
Edwin Poots (DUP)
Whistle-blowing is a very serious matter. My Department requires all my arm’s-length bodies to have effective policies in place to deal with whistle-blowing at a local level. Recently, I wrote to all staff in the HSC to highlight the importance of their having the confidence to blow the whistle where they have genuine concerns, particularly around patient safety.
Paula Bradley (DUP)
I thank the Minister for his support and for his answer thus far. How does he respond to allegations that employees may be discouraged from raising concerns by senior figures in their Department or organisation?
Edwin Poots (DUP)
As I said, I wrote to all staff in the health and social care system to ensure that they got the message very clearly that not only is whistle-blowing something that they could do but something that they should do. If they see wrongdoing, it is important that we become aware of it. We cannot deal with wrongdoing if we are not aware of it happening.
Therefore, workers who report wrongdoing have the right to complain to an industrial tribunal if they are dismissed or suffer any detriment for doing so. Although employees can complain of unfair dismissal, other workers who are not employees cannot complain that they have been subject to detriment; for example, if their contracts were terminated because they had made a protected disclosure. Whistle-blowing is about bringing something to the attention of the employee’s management team. It is not about going to someone in the media who then puts out a story in a way that suits that organisation but does not deliver any benefits. Whistle-blowing is about allowing us to get to the nub of problems and dealing with them.
Michelle Gildernew (Sinn Féin)
Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I am very interested in the Minister’s response to that question. Did the personnel in the Fire and Rescue Service get that letter as well? The Minister’s answer does not equate to the very shameful way in which a member of its staff was suspended. The member of staff had whistle-blown in a very responsible fashion. The individual had not gone to the media yet was suspended, and now senior staff in that organisation are going to be allowed to retire before they are held to account for their actions.
Edwin Poots (DUP)
Yes, we did write to all members of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service encouraging them to blow the whistle. The letter was certainly sent to the organisation to be distributed to all its members. All the other organisations ensured that that happened. Therefore, I expect that the Fire Service also ensured that it happened. If it has not happened, I will ensure that it does happen, because that is something that we ask of it.
The Northern Ireland Fire Service receives considerable attention at a senior level in the Department, and it probably gives us more work than any other organisation. Regrettably, some things have not been carried out as well as they should have been. We are very well aware of those things, and we will deal with them.
John McCallister (UUP)
I am grateful to the Minister for his earlier replies. The Minister said that the policies are in place. How will he make sure that the policies are not only in place but that best practice is followed? How will he make it easy and practical for people to whistle-blow in their relevant organisation?
Edwin Poots (DUP)
The letter that I wrote provided significant encouragement to people that they could whistle-blow with some degree of confidence. Our current whistle-blowing policies include having clearly demarcated, nominated personnel to whom a whistle-blowing issue can be reported, depending on the circumstances, and communication systems in place to disseminate guidance, including an internet website, community publications, induction programmes, training packs, e-mails, review groups, monthly team briefs, posters, fraud awareness training and HR handbooks. We also have policies that provide initial external channels to raise concerns.
Given all that, I think that the Member can see that extensive work has been done to establish how people can whistle-blow. They got a letter encouraging them to do that, and it is their duty to do so when they become aware of things. No doubt, there will be individuals who do not like that and who will seek to suppress whistle-blowing. If people bring forward issues, I hope that it is the individuals engaged in wrongdoing who are punished, not the whistle-blowers.
I think that people will be reassured by what the Minister said. I hope that there will be a rigorous approach to whistle-blowing in the Department. The Minister referred to people going to the press. Does he accept that, in some instances, people feel so frustrated and alienated in a working environment that they have no option but to go to the press? In such circumstances, is that a legitimate form of whistle-blowing?
Edwin Poots (DUP)
I am glad to say that since I sent the letter in March, eight cases have been reported by individuals to my Department. Obviously, those eight people did not see the need to go to the press; they recognised how to do things properly. Indeed, Members can often deal with cases themselves or bring them directly to the Department. Often, people go to the press because they have particular interests and want particular things to happen. They use the press to deliver messages. Going to the press is against their code of practice, against Civil Service codes and against everything that we in the House stand for.
It is deeply regrettable that a member of the Justice Committee in particular is suggesting that people should tell tales to the press rather than go through the established legitimate system that we are encouraging people to use to bring such matters to our attention so that we can ensure that people who engage in wrongdoing are dealt with appropriately.