I need to send a 100% anonymous whistleblowing email

[WhistBl]

I’m going to send the email whatever happens but I’m trying to make it as untraceable as possible. I know nothing is 100% but as good as it gets.

Yes I know I could follow process but the process isn’t working and is broken. There are any number of people who could be reporting this so it won’t be traced back to me. I’m 100% not a covid denying loon and it’s not anything to do with that (I’m NHS)

Plan so far is gmail account with no backup email or phone number (which I think you can do?)

Open account and send email through a VPN.

Vague/generic name for the email address

Anything I haven’t thought of?

DayBath - it's great that your Trust applies their whistleblowing policy correctly and I am pleased that you know of times it has been used to improve practice.

Unfortunately, while every Trust has to have a WB policy, clinicians have been hung out to dry for attempting to use the process and are right to be cautious.

The bottom line is the OP knows her Trust and is not confident in that organisations Whistleblowing, so she is trying to find another way to raise her concerns that won't affect her future job prospects.

@amitoooldforthisshit Are you saying that a sheet of A4 that's got a message printed on it also contains data that can identify someone? That's interesting - do you have a link so I can read up on that?

Just some further advice on the content. We often find whistle blowing reports contain a lot of stuff, some very serious but also bulked out with niggles and supposition. I think people think about "oh and this happened, and X might have seen this, and also I think Y might have called Z this name" etc makes it a stronger allegation because there is more to it. But it just creates confusion and makes it harder to pin down or evidence what has happened. Before you send whatever it is narrow it down to the core complaint/concern and make it factual with as little as opinion (unless professional opinion) as possible. Times and dates are very helpful.

I'd send it from someone else's phone rather than your own.

If you are going anonymous mail, it's probably far easier to go snail mail. It probably doesn't matter if you just post it in the town you work in-- plenty of employers will be from that area, or passing though.

Send copies to as many people as you can, plus local press if you feel it's indicated.

Can't you write it directly to the CQC to ensure it is dealt with under their supervision, and therefore responded to/ taken as seriously as it needs to be?

Sorry I have just rtft and see this is what you plan to do. Good luck with it OP sounds like you're going about it all the right way.

Very sensible you are doing it this way. I whistle blew about abuses in a care home I worked in, to Social Services. They said that my name would not be revealed. With AN HOUR my area manager was on the phone to me. Nothing is truly confidential, and they all just covered their own backs, not the abused.

@Al1langdownthecleghole

DayBath - it's great that your Trust applies their whistleblowing policy correctly and I am pleased that you know of times it has been used to improve practice.

Unfortunately, while every Trust has to have a WB policy, clinicians have been hung out to dry for attempting to use the process and are right to be cautious.

The bottom line is the OP knows her Trust and is not confident in that organisations Whistleblowing, so she is trying to find another way to raise her concerns that won't affect her future job prospects.

Go back and re-read my post. You're literally repeating what I've already said FFS.

@WhistBl

I intend to write it in a different style to my own.

One other thing. I have a document I would ideally attach. But I’m worried about details in the properties part of the document or it being traceable, I’ve checked and the owner is not included but I’m inclined not to send it because it seems like an added risk. It’s a scanned handwritten timeline.

Can you attach a photo of it?

protect-advice.org.uk/

This organisation should be able to help you.

You could try contacting Protect, who are a whistleblowing organisation (supporting whistleblowers) and have a good reputation. They have a hotline and give free advice, eg on how best to make credible claims.

protect-advice.org.uk/

LOL - cross post!

The NHS is not MI5, they still use Windows 95, their IT is about 25 years out of date, nobody will have the skill, time, inclination or ability to trace your e-mail

It’s not spy stuff

@HouseofBrieandBanter I agree!

I have set up a GMail address without a back up, I’m sure.

If you translate the email into another language, another language again and then back to English it will change it quite a lot. You will need to re-edit but it can be useful in taking personality out of something.

Hi Op
Leak it to the Press like Daily Mail or more respectable newspapers etc.
Or the internet media...😕

mail.yandex.com

Buy a cheap (secondhand?) Smartphone and a PAYG SIM card from Giffgaff or similar. Set up an email address using mobile data during lunch/after work in the town of your employer and use it to email whoever.

Send accompanying documents within the body of the message rather than as attachments, and where possible screenshot them or copy them into type written and then printed out form.

Good luck to you.
But I wouldn't worry too much -
I agree with the pp's saying the NHS isn't MI5!

Agree they aren’t MI5 but I’ve seen the investigations into whistleblowers and they aren’t stupid either. Google the trust which brought in handwriting experts to track down the person who sent a handwritten whistleblowing letter!

OP - if you want you can send the email to me from a fake address. I will hand write a letter detailing what is in the email and post it.

Just another option.

@Muchtoomuchtodo

When I had issues that I felt I had to escalate, I also had no faith in the whistleblowing policy (also NHS)

I sent letters to key players, including the chief executive via recorded mail from a post office that I had to go out of my way to get to.

Isn’t recorded mail traceable to you??

I see lots of well-merited praise on here for the Independent's Shaun Lintern - excellent journalist who is completely dogged in the cause of patient safety.