Raising concerns/speaking up pathways

Raising a concern is not always easy, but it’s the right thing to do. It ensures we consistently provide the best possible working environment for colleagues, and deliver high quality, safe patient care.

This is why we made speaking up a Trust breakthrough objective in April 2023 as part of the refresh of Patient First, highlighting our commitment to empowering others to speak up, and addressing any concern raised.

Your voice counts. If you see something, say something…

Some examples of instances where you should speak up are:

unsafe patient care
bullying or a bullying culture
unsafe working conditions
lack of, or poor, response to a reported patient safety incident
suspicions of fraud

If you have a concern, the best place to start is by reporting it to your line manager.

But if that is not effective, or you feel uncomfortable about doing so, there are other options – see our handy route map to help you find the right pathway.

The Guardian Service

There is another avenue for you to take, the Trust has adopted a new independent 24/7 listening service called ‘The Guardian Service’, a dedicated UHSussex guardian (Trish Marks) is available to provide impartial and confidential support, with matters relating to patient care and safety, whistleblowing, bullying and harassment, and work grievances. Trish will be visiting sites regularly so you can speak to her in-person, contact her on email or via the dedicated freephone number available 24/7.