HEALTH workers are being urged to blow the whistle on colleagues they suspect of committing fraud in the workplace.

The move is part of a new policy unveiled by Calderstones NHS Trust aimed at preventing corruption among its staff.

The guidelines will urge employees to report colleagues about whom they have 'reasonable suspicions.'

A report to a trust board meeting at Calderstones says: "The board wishes to encourage anyone having reasonable suspicions of fraud to report them.

"Therefore it is also the board's policy that no employee will suffer in any way as a result of reporting reasonably held suspicions.

"All members of staff can be confident that they will not suffer in any way as a result of reporting reasonably held suspicions of fraud.

"For these purposes, 'reasonably held suspicions' shall mean any suspicions other than those which are raised maliciously and found to be groundless."

Details of the policy will be circulated in a leaflet to staff which will be included in their wage slips.

The policy adds: "All members of staff share a responsibility to help safeguard the trust's assets and reputation.

"It is the duty of all NHS staff who suspect that fraud, theft or corruption may be occurring to report it so action may be taken.

"It is the duty of the trust to ensure that staff who raise genuine concerns are protected, regardless of whether the subesequent investigation substantiates those concerns."

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