A PUBLIC standards watchdog has upheld an anonymous complaint that insufficient training and access to information to contact tracing staff was given.
They Independent National Whistleblowing Officer (INWO) ruled that this led to a “greater risk” of incorrect advice being given from Scotland’s Covid helpline.
155 call centre staff were surveyed last year as part of the investigation, with some stating they felt they "did not have sufficient time and resources to manage their training and knowledge" on public calls.
A spot check conducted by NSS and Public Health Scotland found that 91% of the 40 calls chosen at random complied with protocols put in place, with the remaining 9% of cases having a “lack of clarity” in work notes as opposed to an outright error with the exposure date given.
However, more than 1 in 4 cases overall (rising to 36% for cases that went through contact tracing) had exposure dates changed by a quality control or supervisor check to ensure compliance with protocols.
INWO ruled that on balance, there is “sufficient evidence” to show that some staff “did not have sufficient training and access to sufficient information to enable them to provide correct information to the public”.
They added that “it is more likely than not” that these conditions resulted in “an increased risk of incorrect information being given to members of the public”.
However, they also said: “In making this decision, it should be remembered that the complaint relates to a specific point in time. I recognise the multiple challenges that [staff] were facing, and their hard work to deliver the service through these challenges.
“Especially when the organisation was growing and responding to a rapid surge in COVID-19 case numbers.”
Reduced quality control, rotation of staff, difficulties in communicating updates and some staff being unable to access relevant training in the live environment were all noted as reasons by the INWO for the issues found.
Mary Morgan, chief executive of NHS NSS, said in a statement to BBC Scotland: "Contact centre staff were provided with a range of training and ongoing support to ensure they were able to undertake their duties safely and effectively.
"Neither NSS's internal investigation nor the investigation conducted by INWO found examples of members of the public who had received incorrect public health advice."
She continued: "The national call centre was aware of the need to further develop the training at this time [of complaint] to meet the changing needs of the service and had a plan in place to do so."
