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NHS HIGHLAND: We can only fix things that go wrong if we know about them





By Gareth Adkins

There’s been a lot of research done which shows that having that confidence to challenge things is key to successful, high-performing teams.
There’s been a lot of research done which shows that having that confidence to challenge things is key to successful, high-performing teams.

This week NHS Highland has been recognising and supporting Speak Up Week.

This annual fixture is becoming well-known within the NHS, but for those less familiar, the week focuses on the importance of speaking up about improvements or changes needed. Specifically, it publicises the National Whistleblowing Standards, raising awareness of the processes available to support people to speak up.

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The standards are relatively new, having come into force in 2021, and they introduced a common process for handling whistleblowing concerns, as well as setting out protections for people speaking up. Health boards must provide a ‘confidential contact’ to offer support on whistleblowing. In NHS Highland, our confidential contact is the Guardian Service, and during Speak Up Week the Guardian Service, senior managers and staff representatives have been taking part in visits and hold drop-in sessions across the Highlands and Argyll and Bute to speak with staff.

While only people providing an NHS service can use the national whistleblowing processes (this includes staff, volunteers, contractors and students), there are many other ways to raise an issue if you come across one. Many people, whether team members, patients or the families of someone using our services, will feel able to informally approach a manager or clinician and ask about anything they feel worried about. We welcome feedback and want to have the chance to put things right as quickly as possible.

If you’re not sure who to speak to, or would rather put something in writing, our feedback team can help to direct your concern to the right place. They can be contacted by emailing nhshighland.feedback@nhs.scot or calling 01463 705997. You can also share stories about your experience of NHS Highland services via Care Opinion. As well as a website, www.careopinion.org.uk, Care Opinion allows you to share feedback via phone or in writing.

We’re working hard to make sure we respond to feedback and reply to people to explain how we have used their insight - whether that’s to thank teams for doing a great job, or to make improvements. Having a culture that encourages speaking up is vital to the safety of the people we care for, because we can only fix things that go wrong if we know about them.

When people feel safe to ask questions and express their opinions, they have ‘psychological safety’. There’s been a lot of research done which shows that having that confidence to challenge things is key to successful, high-performing teams. Such teams are more likely to hear a range of diverse views, and more likely to learn from mistakes. That means they have more opportunities to improve.

So, speaking up is important on many levels. For an individual, it can set their mind at rest to know that something is being investigated and, if necessary, put right. For a team, it can support a more positive working environment and help them to be the best they can be. For an organisation like NHS Highland, speaking up is at the heart of the culture we want to sustain: open, honest, caring and supportive. You can find out more about Speak Up Week at www.inwo.spso.org.uk

Gareth Adkins is the director for people and culture at NHS Highland.


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