Whistleblowing Policy
Her Health Partnerships Ltd (“we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to the highest standards of openness, integrity, and accountability. This Whistleblowing Policy provides a safe way for staff and others working with us to raise concerns about wrongdoing without fear of reprisal.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to make sure concerns about malpractice, patient safety, or breaches of legal and ethical obligations can be raised and addressed properly. It supports our commitment to protecting patients, the public, and the NHS.
Scope
This policy applies to:
All employees of Her Health Partnerships Ltd
Self-employed clinicians working under contract
Temporary, locum, or bank staff engaged by us
Volunteers and students working with the organisation
It covers all services we deliver in NHS premises under insourcing agreements.
What Is Whistleblowing?
Whistleblowing is when someone reports certain types of wrongdoing — also known as making a “protected disclosure” under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
Protected disclosures may include:
Criminal offences
Breaches of legal obligations
Miscarriages of justice
Risks to health and safety
Damage to the environment
Deliberate concealment of wrongdoing
Raising a Concern
If you have a concern, you should raise it as soon as possible.
Concerns can be reported verbally or in writing by contacting us at:
partnerships@her-health.org.ukIf you feel unable to raise your concern internally, you may escalate it to the commissioning NHS Trust’s governance team.
Anonymous disclosures will be considered, though they may be harder to investigate.
How Concerns Will Be Handled
We will acknowledge the concern within 5 working days.
An initial assessment will decide if further investigation is needed.
Investigations will be carried out confidentially, impartially, and as quickly as possible.
If wrongdoing is found, appropriate action will be taken — which may include notifying external authorities (such as the NHS Trust, CQC, or police).
Protection from Detriment
No one raising a genuine concern in good faith will suffer harassment, victimisation, or any detrimental treatment. Anyone who retaliates against a whistleblower will face disciplinary action.
Malicious Allegations
Deliberately false or malicious allegations will be treated as a disciplinary offence.
Review and Monitoring
This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if legislation or NHS requirements change. The Governance Committee will review whistleblowing cases and lessons learned.