The whistleblower stages model in British National Health Service Inquiries

Abstract

PurposeThis article applies the whistleblowing stages model to whistleblowing journeys as seen in British National Health Service (NHS) Inquiries.Design/methodology/approachIt provides a qualitative analysis of Inquiry Reports since 2001, using Interpretive Content Analysis to allocate material to stages.FindingsIt is found that the Inquiry Reports show a wide variety of reporting mechanisms, but that most persons initially report internally. It seems to confirm recent suggestions that WB is often not a “one off” or simple and linear process, but a protracted process. While the simple stages model may be appropriate for individual “whistle-blowing incident” by a single whistleblower, it needs to be revised for the protracted process of raising concerns in a variety of ways by different people as shown in the Inquiry Reports.Research limitations/implicationsThe evidence is confined to the publicly available material that was presented in the Inquiry Reports.Practical implicationsIt provides a template to apply to cases of whistleblowing, and provides some baseline material.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to explore the whistleblowing stages model using qualitative material to one setting over time.