FOI 26-295 Whistleblowing Incidents
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-295 Whistleblowing Incidents
- Request Date
- 01 Jul 2026
- Response Date
- 22 Jul 2026
- Information Requested
1. How many incidences of whistleblowing has Scottish Ambulance Service Board recorded in each of the last five financial years (please break down by year, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26)?
2. Does your whistleblowing policy encourage or direct whistleblowers to raise concerns with a "prescribed person" (as defined under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998)? If so, please specify which prescribed person(s) are referenced.
3. Does your whistleblowing policy or process guarantee anonymity to individuals who raise a concern? If so, please provide a copy of the relevant section of the policy addressing this.
4. Does your whistleblowing policy include a non-recrimination or non-retaliation provision, protecting whistleblowers from detriment or reprisal as a result of raising a concern? If so, please provide a copy of the relevant section of the policy addressing this.
5. Has your internal whistleblowing policy been subject to any external review, audit, or assessment (by an external body, auditor, regulator, or independent consultant) within the last five years? If so, please provide:
a. the name of the body/organisation that conducted the review;
b. the date of the review; and
c. a copy of any resulting report or summary of findings, subject to any applicable exemptions.
- Response
Q1 - Please see the table below detailing the total concerns received by the Scottish Ambulance Service and assessed as eligible for consideration under the National Whistleblowing Standards.
Financial Year
Number of concerns received and assessed as eligible for consideration under the National Whistleblowing Standards
2021/22
6
2022/23
11
2023/24
5
2024/25
1
2025/26
2
Q2 - No. The Scottish Ambulance Service's Whistleblowing Policy is aligned with the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer (INWO) National Whistleblowing Standards. Neither the Policy nor the Standards explicitly encourage or direct individuals to raise concerns with a "prescribed person" as defined under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and no prescribed persons are specifically referenced.
Staff are instead encouraged to raise concerns through the Scottish Ambulance Service's whistleblowing arrangements, including through the Service's Confidential Contacts.
Q3 - No. The Scottish Ambulance Service does not guarantee anonymity to individuals raising a whistleblowing concern. Concerns are handled on a confidential, rather than anonymous, basis.
The Service will take all reasonable steps to maintain the confidentiality of a whistleblower's identity and personal information. Information identifying the whistleblower will only be shared on a need-to-know basis and, wherever possible, this will be discussed with the whistleblower in advance.
Relevant extract:
"While SAS will respect the person's request for their concern to be anonymous, the concern cannot be handled under the Standards and the matter cannot be referred to the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer (INWO)."
Q4 - Yes. The Scottish Ambulance Service's Whistleblowing Policy is aligned with the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer (INWO) National Whistleblowing Standards, which include protections for individuals who raise concerns from detriment or unfair treatment as a result of speaking up.
Relevant extract:
"In accordance with NHS Scotland's Whistleblowing Policy, you are protected from any detriment or unfair treatment as a result of raising concerns."
Q5 - No. The Scottish Ambulance Service has not identified any recorded information showing that its internal Whistleblowing Policy has been subject to a formal external review, audit or assessment by an external body, auditor, regulator or independent consultant within the last five years.
Accordingly, the Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold information falling within parts (a) to (c) of your request.
The Service does, however, engage regularly with the Independent National Whistleblowing Officer (INWO) in relation to the operation of its whistleblowing arrangements. During investigations undertaken by the INWO, relevant policy documents may be shared as part of the investigation process and any feedback received may inform future policy development. However, this does not constitute a formal external review, audit or assessment of the Whistleblowing Policy.
