Whistleblowing

RQIA has prepared guidance to help health and social care staff who wish to make a protected disclosure about wrongdoing in their workplace: RQIA Whistleblowing Guidance, October 2018 (updated June 2021) 

If you work for a health and social care service and wish to make a disclosure about a concern or wrongdoing within that service, you can contact RQIA to whistleblow, or make a disclosure, under: The Public Interest Disclosure (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.

This Order protects workers who wish to bring wrongdoing within their workplace to the attention of an appropriate authority. It explains the type of disclosures that may be protected; the circumstances in which such disclosures are protected; and the persons who may be protected. The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 also includes information on disclosures qualifying for protection at Article 67B. You can access this here.

You may also find the following document produced by the Department of Employment and Learning helpful: Guide to Public Interest Disclosure (NI) Order 1998 (Amended April 2014)

If you wish to make a disclosure under this Order, you can contact RQIA's Guidance Team at:

The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority
1st Floor James House
2-4 Cromac Avenue
Belfast
BT7 2JA

By telephone: (028) 9536 1990 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm); or by email: info@rqia.org.uk

Additional guidance issued on 22 March 2012 by the Health Minister, Mr Edwin Poots MLA entitled 'Your Right to Whistle Blow' can be accessed at: Your Right to Whistle Blow, March 2012

You may also find guidance prepared by the NI Audit Office, National Audit Office, Audit Scotland and Wales Audit Office, in conjunction with Public Concern at Work, helpful: Whistleblowing in the Public Sector: A Good Practice Guide