Investigating the investigators: The good, the bad, and the unnecessary? (Roger Kline OBE, 18 December 2025)

Summary

Formal investigations are central to how NHS employers often address workplace conflicts and allegations of misconduct. However, there has been almost no scrutiny of why (and when) they are authorised, how they are conducted, and the impact they have on staff well-being, staff behaviours, workplace culture and patient care. The existing literature on workplace investigations shows that they may have significant implications for staff directly involved and, potentially, for the wider organisation’s culture and patient care. Moreover, such investigations are regarded as crucial evidence should an individual pursue an Employment Tribunal claim.

Though there is research on what might constitute the standards for an effective and fair investigation, there is no statutory regulation of workplace investigations (or investigators), nor are there accepted standards that employers are expected to ensure investigators follow in the NHS. This research has sought to understand the impact of NHS workplace investigations through the eyes of those subject to them. In doing so, we have sought to understand the “lifecycle of an investigation” and the key roles of influence, most notably those of investigators, both internal and externally commissioned.