The Jigsaw - Help Us Find the Missing Piece

If you are an MOT Tester, an Authorised Examiner (AE) or manage a MOT Testing Station and have been subjected to unfair or discriminatory action by an MOT investigation we would like to hear from you.

If you have had an Ultima Thermodynamic Water Heater installed, or are an engineer, or plumber, who has installed or made a service call relating to the installation of an Ultima Thermodynamic Water Heater, we would like to hear from you.

Following our report on the activities of a nurse at Broomfield Hospital, we have been contacted by the office of the CEO and are pleased to report he has authorised an investigation into the circumstances of the appointment and more importantly, is conducting a review to determine if  risk to patient safety is an issue.  Although we have not identified the nurse in question, in a telephone conversation with James Day, the Trust Secretary, it became clear the Trust have robust internal procedures to examine the circumstances, which led to the promotion.

The CEO has been recently appointed and we believe a thorough investigation will take place.  If the facts we have outlined are correct, action will be taken and we are guaranteed there will be no witch hunt to identify the informant.

A member of staff at “Whistle Blowers” had the misfortune to insure a vehicle with LV (Liverpool Victoria) who contract with Autoglass to provided windscreen repair/replacement for their customers.

The LV policy document provides a contact number for windscreen replacement, under the guise of the “Highway Glass Line, in association with Autoglass.”  In essence the telephone number connects you directly with Autoglass.

The LV policy documentation does not advise the policyholder that he or she can also use AA Autowindshield,   National Windscreens, or Autowindscreens – the details of these companies are invisible, as are their contact numbers.  As a result of our experience, “Whistle Blowers” would highly recommend National Windscreens and most certainly, would use AA Autowindshield or Autowindscreens rather than Autoglass (see below)

A senior officer in Nottingham Police has contacted us to complain about the misuse of “pool cars” by senior officers.

It is alleged ranks of and above Assistant Chief Constable have allocated themselves cars, which are used, ostensibly by Nottinghamshire police as general purpose vehicles.  The allegation is the vehicle have been adopted by the officers as their own property.

HMRC stipulate “pool cars” have to be regularly used by more than one driver AND are garaged overnight at the place of business – in this case Nottinghamshire Police Headquarters.  Vehicle used outside this remit are classed as company cars and the user has to pay tax based to the value of the car

We have been contacted by a whistle blower, who has made various allegations relating to the “fixing” of job interviews; sexual harassment, management bullying, cover ups; sexual liaison and “dubious” foreign trips by a member(s) of staff at the International Office of Coventry University.  The allegations extend to a staff member being investigated for spending university money on prostitutes!

A member of the Essex Fire & Rescue Service has contacted us with alarming allegations in respect of the supply of Tropkrok kit drying units being installed in all fire stations within Essex.  Not all allegations feature in this entry.

According to the informant, the Tropkrok driers are used to dry out the protective clothing used by fire service personnel, when they have returned from an emergency.  According to the whistle blower, the machines cost around £5,000 and are being systematically installed following a refurbishment programme.  It is alleged the driers are no more than an inefficient, noisy, glorified cold air fan that the fire and rescue personnel refuse to use.

The company states she received a minor injuries from static electricity but nevertheless compensated her.  We want to know of other cases, where seemingly excessive compensation has been paid by large organisations, without due regard to the nature of the injury.

In July 2013, Sandra Baker, a benefits claimant, alleges she was ascending the escalator in Marks and Spencer store in Chelmsford, when she was, “electrocuted” and received injuries, sufficient for her to visit her GP – she had no blistering, bruising or reddening of the hand, which received the, “shock!”  Nevertheless, Mrs Baker contacted a firm of “conditional fee” (no win - no fee) solicitors and Marks and Spencer compensated Mrs Baker by paying her £2,000, even though it appears Mrs Baker had no lasting injury and even less evidence to support her claim.

An investigation by the company revealed the “shock” was generated by static electricity and that Mrs Baker’s injuries were “minor.”  Marks and Spencer admitted there was a fault with the escalator but stated Mrs Baker’s “shock” was caused by static electricity.

A serving officer in a provincial force has contacted us to tell us about the lack of supervision of full time Police Federation reps.  According to the information we have to hand, all constable and sergeants employed as full time Federation reps pay themselves an honorarium to increase their pay level to that of a police inspector – the irony is that unlike junior ranks, police inspectors are not paid overtime.  However, when they work overtime, for the purpose of payment, the Federation reps are paid at the rate applicable to their rank and claim “time and a half” – in essence they have the best of both worlds; an inspectors wage and paid overtime.  All reps earn substantially more than an operational inspector, working shifts at the, “sharp end”!

Sadly, the story does not end there....

We are currently investigating serious criminal allegations made against Victor Beaumont (real name Peter Wolf) a relatively famous actor, a German national, who died in 1977.  We know in the sixties he lived in the Maida Vale area and we know he drove an “expensive” Mercedes car. 

William Henry Smith School is a residential boys only school that takes pupils who have learning disabilities and emotional or behaviour problems.  It is alleged by a whistle blower that during the 1970’s and 1980’s sexual and physical abuse was common and that the extent of the abuse, if uncovered, would rival that of the “Savile enquiry.”  We are told over 100 former pupils may have been subjected to the abuse.

We have received a letter from a whistle blower, who has explained the catastrophic failures involving the loose engine cowlings on the recent BA flight to Oslow, were as a direct result of BA engineers being recruited to BA’s “iCSP programme.”

We are completing research into Victor Beaumont, a german national, who lived in the Uk from the 1930’s.  Beaumont was a well known film actor, who featured in many classic films, including, “Where Eagles Dare.”. Beaumont died in 1977 but our enquiries focus on his activities in the 1960’s. We are eager to trace names of family members, details of his associates, details of his agent(s) and his place(s) of residence; we know he lived in the Maida Vale area and used the Granville Road swimming baths in Kilburn

A whistle blower has contacted us to complain of advertising in A & E Departments.  Apparently it is common practice throughout the UK for accident solicitors and their cohorts, “ambulance chaser” to have their business cards and “fliers” on prominent display, sometime in the surgical areas. 

A whistle blower has contacted us and told us the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust is in the process of investigating why so many patients with minor ailments are taken by ambulance to A & E.  Some of the patients, who arrive at A & E leave before treatment and others, on diagnosis, are found to have nothing wrong with them.

We have had a GP practice manager contact us to explain how the GP out of hours system works.  In the process we have identified a potential scam.

On 23rd June 2012, Carl Cope was admitted to Walsall Manor Hospital with chest pains and despite the severity of his condition and the fact he had been admitted by ambulance, he was told to “take a seat” in the waiting room.  Like many A&E patients, Carl sat of the floor.

On 18th May 2013, we highlighted the problems experienced by BA passengers, who wanted to use their Avios points to travel on the “World’s favourite airline” (that’s not how potential Avios passengers describe them).

We have been in contact with BA, who now inform us passengers, who wish to redeem their Avios points against flights, should book 355 days in advance, because “for commercial reasons,” there is limited availability for Avios customers, who are allocated a limited number of seats.

The change in the law, allowing costs to be awarded at Employment Tribunals, has reduced the number of applications because litigants are fearful of being ordered to pay costs if they lose. 

Sadly, it is often the case that NHS staff, who are deemed to be “difficult,” are dismissed to relieve the Trust of an employee, who has the temerity to challenge management – this is often the case with whistle blowers or those who register a formal grievance.  HR managers know a successful appeal to an Employment Tribunal will be the inevitable consequence but will make a calculated decision, “Will the member of staff have the resources to pursue a successful application to an Employment Tribunal?”
 

HMRC outsource some of their debt collection to private companies, not least of whom is Advantis Credit Limited.  In January 2012 one of our number had a letter addressed to him at our offices, asking him for his “whereabouts.”  The letter did not disclose why Advantis was interested in him other than stating they, “provide professional services to a number of large organisations within the UK”

HSBC were have been fined millions of dollars by the US authorities for money laundering in North America.  Recently, a woman contacted us who allegedly blew the whistle on a similar operation she identified at the London headquarters of HSBC.  Unfortunately, the woman was dismissed because she was alleged to have been an integral part of the operation, which involved transfers of money to and from Mexico and Somalia.

Recently we were contacted by a whistle blower, who questioned us in respect of the grant of firearm certificates.  The informant told us of a man, who holds firearm/shotgun certificates, even though he has criminal convictions, including convictions for violence.  He managed to obtain both by the simple expedient of changing his name and obtaining a driving licence and passport in his new identity.  When he completed his application he used his new identity and stated he had never been known by another name.  He produced his new driving licence and/or passport and the background checks were made against the new identity.

On the 22nd April 2013 we reported on the cardiac unit at UHS. Since then we have heard from another whistle blower, who does not wish to identify herself at this stage.  She has identified the main participants as, “three demigods; Mr Geoff Tsang, Mr Sunil Ohri and to a lesser extent, Mr Cliff Barlow, who appears to have been dragged into this.”
 

 

On 18th May 2013, we highlighted the problems experienced by BA passengers, who wanted to use their Avios points to travel on the “World’s favourite airline” (that’s not how potential Avios passengers describe them).

We have been in contact with BA, who now inform us passengers, who wish to redeem their Avios points against flights, should book 355 days in advance, because “for commercial reasons,” there is limited availability for Avios customers, who are allocated a limited number of seats.

On 7th May 2013 we posted a “Jig Saw” entry in relation to alleged practices at East Surrey NHS Trust.  On 23rd May 2013, through his PA, we heard from the Chief Executive, Michael Wilson, who asked us to post his response to the allegations.  We are happy to do so.

British Airways in conjunction with American Express and other retailers/credit card issuers encourage you to earn “Avios” points to use against flights.  If you have a “BA American Express” card, using the points, you can qualify for a voucher to allow another passenger to accompany you on a flight at a reduced fare or indeed, for free.

We have many, many requests to resume our “Jigsaw” entries and equally, we have had many questions relating to their suspension.  In short, we were concerned our investigations, using the “Jigsaw” page, were being compromised.

According to information in our possession, consultants in a number of clinics (the exact details are known to us) at East Surrey Hospital, conduct their private non-NHS work in NHS time.

Misconduct in a public office is a common law criminal offence that has never been defined by statute; indeed it is an offence that is virtually indefinable, simply because “misconduct” is a subjective issue.

Prior to the investigation into the bank practices, Barclays Business Managers were told they had to sell 1 PPI for every 3 business applications, even though the internal criteria meant PPI policies should not have been sold. 

“Whistle Blowers” has learned the Police Federation, the Policemen’s union, is amassing many thousands in contribution payments from officers. In one provincial force the Federation have accumulated over £1,000,000 which sits in the Bank(s) and is growing daily.

We have been contacted by a whistle blower, who alleges he has incontrovertable evidence for the motive for Anni Dewani’s murder.

We are currently investigating the regime at the cardio-thorasic unit at Southampton Hospital, where it has been alleged by a number of whistle blowers that discrimination was commonplace and that one doctor, who complained, was effectively dismissed, not because of his professional ability but due to his determination to speak out.  He had the temerity to complain.

It has been alleged that when Lloyds Bank took over the Halifax Building Society, the Halifax failed to notify Lloyds of millions that had been earmarked for some investors and beneficiaries, who had monies held in Trust or who had at the time of the take-over, yet to be identified.

A paramedic in the East of England has been suspended for nine months because on the instructions of doctors at A & E, he was told to take a coronary patient to a specialist cardiac unit.  En route to the unit, the patient became moribund (not dead but not freely being able to communicate) and despite efforts to save him, he subsequently died.

“Whistle Blowers” have been contacted by no less than five paramedics from across the UK, who have complained about unnecessary disciplinary procedures and suspensions.

“Whistle Blowers” have received a number of complaints about loss adjusters and insurance assessors, who are seemingly under instructions from the insurance companies to reduce the value of claims made against, home, car, travel, and loss insurance.

We have been contacted by a supermarket store manager, who had to stand and watch the paramedics try to save the life of a man, who collapsed outside his store.  The paramedics “worked” on the elderly gentleman for 40 minutes but could not resuscitate him.

The store manager was traumatised by the incident, primarily because he was informed by the paramedic in attendance that if the store had a defibrillator, there was a very real chance the man would have survived.

At “Whistle Blowers” we receive frequent reports from paramedics based throughout the UK and are currently investigating a number of issues, not least of which relates to staffing levels.

Paramedics services are reaching breaking point, not necessarily due to staffing problems or as one paramedic put it, “wonky policies, introduced by policy wonks” but due to the near constant demand for their services.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency is staffed by investigative journalists and media researchers.  The Agency is ethical and exists to call to account those who have transgressed – in pursuit of our goal we work hand in glove with media outlet such as the major newspapers and broadcasters.  Although we are dependent on the media to promote our investigations, it does not mean we are prevented from speaking out about their unethical practices or indeed arguing with editors about the need for fairness in reporting the transgressions of the major companies that purchase pages of prime advertising.

 In 2009 (the last year when statistics are available) in the UK, over 70,000 people attended A & E clinics for treatment for self-inflicted injuries.  That figure does not take into account those, who were treated by GP’s or those who failed to seek help.

In nearly 80% of cases the root cause of self-mutilation can be traced back to sexual abuse but self-harm or self-mutilation is not confined to “cutting” or “slashing”.  It also manifests itself in other forms; promiscuity, drug abuse and unnecessary risk taking.

A resident from Crays Hill, Essex has asked us to assist the community in their presentation of their media campaign.  The resident is outraged the gypsy traveller community is receiving inordinate media coverage, whilst the local residents’ plight has been reduced to no more than a side issue. It is clear the residents have a strong case to rebut most of the arguments put forward by the travellers and have an even stronger argument to highlight how they have suffered over the years at the hands of the gypsy community.

We understand the enquiry into the previous CEO at Mental Health Matters, Ian Grant has been completed but it has been a “whitewash” – two other members of staff have allegedly been disciplined by the Charity Commission but neither the Charity Commission nor Mental Health Matters have examined all the documentation in their possession or made any attempt to determine the true extent of the alleged fraud – we still do not know how either organisation accounted for the £44k Harley Davidson motor cycle the charity seemingly acquired, nor do we know why they have not examined Ian Grant’s expenses claims going back six years or indeed accounted for the fact he had a platinum supporters card for Newcastle United!  Moreover, we are aware there has been no investigation has occurred into his holidays or his seemingly, unnecessary international travel.

This Agency has been independently contacted by a number whistle blowers, who have expressed a concern about an alleged cover up at a registered charity, Mental Health Matters.  Charities have to be registered with the Charity Commission, the charities watchdog but sadly, the Commission has very limited power and is virtually toothless, so much so that it cannot independently conduct an in-depth investigation into a particular organisation – it has to rely on the Board of Trustees of the charity to complete an in-house investigation.

On 10th September 2011 three whistle blowers contacted us in respect of several “suspensions” at the North Staffs Combined Healthcare NHS Trust.  According to the whistle blowers a consultant psychiatrist, a senior clinical psychologist, a nurse consultant and a manager have been suspended for over seven months for implementing Government policy to move patients into the community.

All the suspended clinicians, who are on full pay, work at the “learning difficulties” unit at the Trust and have been suspended for the most insignificant disciplinary allegations.

A “whistle blower” has contacted us following the death of her son, which she attributes to hypopituitarism, a condition affecting the pituitary gland. There is a correlation between the onset of the disease and serious head/brain injury; the symptoms include but are not confined to, reduced growth, depressive illness, fatigue, infertility, impotence and weight gain.

Hypopituitarism is a treatable illness that has many causes and can occur many years after head/brain injury.  All service personnel who have had head injuries or brain damage are regularly screened for the illness but the general public, who have been subjected to similar injury, are not made aware of the condition and are not regularly screened.  Many GP’s are unaware of the correlation between the condition and head/brain injury.  Screening, although relatively inexpensive, is not routinely carried out.

Our “whistle blower” maintains that if her son had been screened, he would be alive today.

We have had two senior police officers contact us in respect of prisoners released on police bail. In essence they have told us that long gone are the days when the Custody Officer had the authority to charge a prisoner with a specific offence and bail them to appear at Court.

In all but the most simplistic cases, the decision to charge a prisoner has to be made by the CPS (the Crown Prosecuting Solicitor) who is either unavailable (particularly during the early hours or at the weekend) or has too many files awaiting adjudication for him/her to advise on the appropriate charge – consequently the prisoner is bailed without charge, to return to the police station at a later date.  In the meantime the CPS ponders his decision; more often or not the prisoner answers his bail on the due date, only to be re-bailed because the CPS has not completed the adjudication.

According to both sources of information, the decision making process is economically unsound and adversely effects the administration of justice (because of the time factor, it is often the case the CPS pursues a less serious charge, rather than a more substantive, provable, allegation.  Moreover, after many months with the sword of Damocles hanging over their head, many innocent people return to the Police station, only to be told that no further action is contemplated.

As the investigation into the ‘phone hacking' scandal by the News of the World escalates, we have learned from a whistle blower that is not just the media who utilise this dark art – it appears to be common commercial practice!

Each service provider has their own generic password for all users to set up their voicemail services.  After the initial set up, the user of the mobile ‘phone should replace the original password with one of their own choosing – sadly, most people do not alter the original password provided by the service provider.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 specifically protects whistle blowers from losing their jobs, provided they comply with the Act – in short, provided the whistle blower adheres to procedures set out by their employers (they do not have to adhere to those procedures, provided they comply with provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998) they cannot be dismissed or discriminated against.

We know that most whistle blowers comply with their employers’ procedures and additionally, comply with the provisions of the Act.  We also know that in reality employers ignore the whistle blower’s complaint and positively discriminate against the whistle blower.

Recently, we received a complaint in respect of the conduct of a paramedic, who was examining an accident victim; we often receive complaints of unethical behaviour by members of the medical profession but invariably, we are unable to help the whistle blower.

The sight of an ambulance and/or a stationary paramedic car is reassuring – they are crewed by highly trained paramedics, trained to save us from the most serious of accidents and near fatal occurrences – or so you think!

We have learned that ambulances are often crewed by a technician and a student paramedic, a technician and an emergency care assistant (an ECA - a well-trained first aider). On some occasions ambulances are staffed by just two ECA’s.

Although the technicians are highly trained, they are not licenced to complete all life-saving procedures or administer life-saving drugs.  They cannot administer morphine to control severe pain and in the case of cardiac arrest, cannot interpret the ECG printout.  The students and the ECA’s have limited skills, yet we are told these crews attend life threatening events and then have to wait for a paramedic to attend – in some case they wait for over an hour and of course, the first 60 minutes (or “golden hour” - the time that serious ailments/injuries have to be treated to ensure survival) has passed before the paramedic has attended.

Have you experienced an Insurance Policy change without being notified? What have been the consequences of this happening? And how has it adversely affected you?

Over the last year, “Whistle Blowers” has received a few phone calls regarding a well-known job placement organization based in South Yorkshire. This organization receives tens of millions of pounds a year in public funding and appears to have a squeaky clean image that contributes to improving the lives of people throughout the country.

However, we have heard from some individuals, that all is not as it seems and their practices only minimally assist the people they claim to help. We are told they do not pay individuals the lunch money they are entitled to whilst on courses and they do not provide free parking for attendee clients (instead, they rent the parking places out for profit to other organisations) even though the funding includes free parking; clearly, they appear to be banking monies raised from the parking! Additionally, it is alleged they collect payment from the government when a client commences employment, even though the client may remain in the job for just a few days, although the payment is conditional on the client remaining in the job for a specified period.

A whistle blower has recently come forward to reveal an unsettling practice exposed at a well-known bank. It seems an employee, who resigned once caught, had forged customer signatures in order to sign them up for products they neither needed, nor were aware of.

Now that consumers have found some justice with the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI), you would think the banks would be trying to clean up their practices. We have received information hinting at the possibility of another mis-selling practice involving at least one of the 5 major  banks. According to the information received, this bank is selling an accounting management product to business owners, which may be completely unnecessary to the owners. However, we are told that this bank’s target is that 60% of business accounts must be sold this product. At £20-£30 per month per account, this product is generating considerable profit for the bank.

Whistle Blowers has received information regarding one of the UK’s largest private service providers and how they managed to secure at least one MOD contract. According to the whistle blower, this company received a list of questions they could expect to be asked during their proposal from a squadron leader who had access to this information. In return for the information, this serviceman was allegedly supposed to oversee the daily running of the services at this particular base.

Whistle Blowers has been made aware of a secondary school that allegedly utilizes some unusual disciplinary actions, including ‘solitary confinement’ in a cubicle style enclosure. This particular school also has an alarmingly high number of permanent and temporary expulsions within a relatively short space of time.

Whistle Blowers has been contacted by several individuals in different locations around the country who have complained about witnessing incidents or being a victim of sexual harassment within the RBS workplace. The allegations range from having their physical appearance openly assessed by male staff on a regular basis, to having security cameras filming female staff inappropriately to staff members believing they have had their drinks spiked with drugs at official social functions. There have also been allegations that women are performing sexual favours in order to enhance their career.

We have been contacted by an American “Whistle Blower” in relation to the death of a US serviceman. We are trying to contact Fatima Al-Radee (or Al-Rhadi), also known as Fatima Kazem Sultan Abood.

We were recently contacted by a ‘Whistle Blower’ who claims that senior staff at a major bank’s call centre are running a drug trafficking ring, supplying both staff and members of the public with marijuana, cocaine and even steroids.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has a temporary vacancy on a 3 month contract that may be extended for a minimum of six or nine months.  During the 38 hour week the candidate must be prepared to work relatively flexible hours, between 8am and 6:30pm.  The Agency operates an informal dress code and provides lunchtime refreshment. 

The agency, which is based in Colchester, is looking for a researcher/administrative assistant, who is a touch typist and is familiar with the MS Office suite, including Microsoft Outlook. Previous employment/training as a journalist or as a researcher would be a distinct advantage.  A thirst for work, a sense of humour and an overwhelming enthusiasm are essential requirements. Provided the candidate meets the previously mentioned criteria, lack of formal educational qualification is not a barrier to employment.

The candidate must be a non-smoker, who is well spoken with a pleasant telephone manner.

We have been contacted by a “Whistle Blower” who states a major UK Bank is about to send letters out to customers, who have purchased personal finance protection insurance.  The letter allegedly states the product has been mis-sold and offers compensation.

We have received numerous emails and some anonymous correspondence from employees of Barclays Bank, complaining about the mis-selling of financial products.  We have also received complaints from managers, suggesting members of staff are forced to mis-sell in order to achieve unrealistic sales targets.

Simon, your message came through to us, but there was no email address attached to the message for some strange reason and we have no way of contacting you. We are very interested in speaking with you and hope to hear from you soon.

People on long term disability payments are being subjected to a standardised questionnaire and inadequate medical check-ups through a private company contracted by the DWP. While the contractor is supposed to be weeding out people faking their conditions, a number of people seem to be falling through the cracks and are being told they are fit to work when they are not.  Part of the problem is the computer program these doctors are using to analyse patients as the questionnaire is vague and relies on how much the doctors chooses to write in (which in many cases is minimal at best). When questioned about lack of details, doctors reply that it’s the form and it’s all they can do. Whistle Blowers has received several messages from people distraught about their inability to work despite being declared fit to work. Their efforts to challenge decisions are also being stonewalled by customer service representatives.

Working in a prison comes with inherent risks. However, Whistle Blowers was shocked to learn that in one particular prison, there are times when one guard is responsible for about 100 inmates. Though this is when they are in their cells in a particular wing, it raises serious concerns for the safety of the staff as well as the inmates. Our Whistle Blower alleges that guards are being assaulted on a regular basis (though it is not officially reported as it should be) and that the safety of inmates is seriously compromised. According to this individual, less money is being spent on the maintenance of staff and facilities because of the desire to make prisons profitable.

If you’re a tenant paying for your utilities, you may want to double check your tenant agreement. Recently, Whistle Blowers was contacted by an individual who noticed he was being charged for his water usage. Upon re-examining his tenant agreement, he found his landlord was, in fact, responsible for paying that bill. When he contacted the water company, he found out that the landlord had set up an account in his name. This raises questions surrounding handling of personal information, possible fraud with regards to setting up accounts in another person’s name. It also makes us wonder how common this practice might be.

How Many Mystery Illnesses Are Misdiagnosed Cases of Lyme Disease?

Over the last year or so, Whistle Blowers has been contacted by many individuals sharing their stories about Lyme Disease. They all share common experiences of prolonged misdiagnosis by multiple doctors, limited access to treatment and in many cases, denial of long term treatment. Lyme Disease, a condition caused by a bacteria carried by ticks, is not thought to be a common affliction in the UK, though it is difficult to diagnose since it can take months or even years to manifest itself and the symptoms mimic a number of other conditions. Standard testing is not terribly accurate (about 50%), and the more accurate method of testing is often denied potential patients because it costs more. However, with more people speaking up about their experiences, it may be time to re-evaluate the methods used to verify Lyme Disease and the course of treatment used.

Whistle Blowers was recently contacted by an individual who claims that a leading grocery store’s management in an Essex store is purposely keeping the heat off in the store to help save money. Incidentally, the store’s manager also currently holds the title of “Green Champion” for the region, which is not a coincidence according to this individual.

One of the Whistle Blowers staff members recently received an old letter that was sent from war-time England to Canada in 1940. It is a remarkable letter that illustrates what daily life was like for average British citizens and shows how resilient and strong the British were under such stressful conditions. It is also a letter of hope for a better future, a better England. The woman who wrote the letter had a gift with words and the ability to write. Unfortunately, we do not know who she is. The letter is signed from “Harry and Brownie” and as best as we can guess, they most likely lived in and around the Newcastle area at some point in the 1930’s.

With high profile cases of breaches in privacy coming to light, one would hope that companies and government agencies are taking data protection measures seriously. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case. Whistle Blowers was recently contacted by an individual concerned with the storage of personal data files and other sensitive information. According to this person, files are not as safe as we think they are and it is not unusual for files in storage to be accidentally destroyed or to go missing. 

Over the last few months, Whistle Blowers has been contacted by different people who represent different branches of the insurance industry. They have all voiced concerns over being instructed to charge as much as possible to customers to meet quotas established by companies. In some cases, customers who should receive refunds are also denied their rightful money and the refunds translate into profit for those companies. If customers complain, these insurance representatives must make up excuses or flat-out lie. Customers are relatively powerless, as they need the insurance.

 

Over the last couple of months, Whistle Blowers has been contacted by a handful of people who have reported mortgage/loan horror stories that appear to echo or are, perhaps, a continuation of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. How is this still happening? Who is perpetrating this behaviour? How are they to be held accountable?

Whistle Blowers was recently contacted by an individual who claims that a major national bakery is selling pies with metal shavings on them. These shavings are difficult to see as they are small, but will glitter in the sunlight.

Whistle Blowers received an email recently from an informant who claims that a well known construction training provider is employing ‘trainers’ who have never been on a building site or have only been there in a limited capacity. Needless to say, an instructor in the trades should have considerable practical experience before teaching others and then signing off on a qualification. Our contact is concerned about workplace safety and the potential for someone to be killed as a result of inadequate training.

Whistle Blowers has been contacted by a couple of individuals concerned with another private college that has been operating under highly questionable standards. Students pay several hundred pounds to complete online distance diplomas without ever meeting tutors, without having their course-related questions answered and when they complain are given ‘A’s to appease them. They are then issued diplomas that may not be recognized in the workplace.

Whistle Blowers was recently contacted by an individual who claims that some private colleges are abusing the student visa system by falsifying records in order to allow students who are not in compliance with the terms of their visa to stay in the country longer. They charge anywhere between £4,600-£6,000 for this service and call it ‘tuition.’ Students may not even attend the school, as they live in different cities, but the college will create records and back date them to make it appear as if the student has been there the whole time.

Angina patients are undergoing inappropriate and invasive heart procedures thinking they have no other option and costing the NHS millions of pounds, says the National Refractory Angina Centre (NRAC) patient group. In 2008 alone, there were over 80,300 angioplasty stent procedures done in the UK (according to BCIS) averaging £7,000 a procedure. The patient group has been told by leading cardiologists in the past that around 8% of these procedures are inappropriate. If that’s the case, then that means over 6,400 people have inappropriate and invasive procedures done on them, costing taxpayers over £45 million a year. Have you had an inappropriate procedure or multiple procedures? We would like to hear from you!

Whistle Blowers Press Agency have been contacted by a number of people who have recently taken part in pharmaceutical drug trials.  Whilst the original complaint received by "Whistle Blowers" related to non payment of fees, it now appears a large number of UK residents regularly submit themselves for sequential drug trials.  In essence, they are either supplementing their living or are fully engaged in clinical experiments. 

 

"Whistle Blowers" has been contacted by a senior pharmacist, who works for a national chain.  All pharmacies are required to record and notify errors made in the dipensing of NHS prescriptions.  According to our source, the errors are legion and the mistakes in dispensing are endemic. It is more by luck than judgement serious harm has not occured.

Whistle Blowers was recently contacted by a CSA employee who claimed the agency had adopted a policy to force parents in arrears to increase payment by the use of credit cards, albeit existing repayment agreements were in place.

CSA staff are being pressurised to meet increasing revenue targets, despite the fact many parents are unable to afford the extra payments demanded by the CSA.

If you are a parent who has been subjected to aggressive collection techniques or if you are a CSA employee, who has been forced to adopt the new directive, we would like to hear from you. 

Whistleblowers Press Agency was recently contacted by a teacher who complained children are often being taught by unqualified staff - "classroom supervisors".   Invariably, qualified teaching staff are absent from the classroom  in excess of three days.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has heard VOSA (the people who run and supervise the MOT annual car/van testing scheme) are offering bonuses to their staff for identifying disciplinary offences committed by nominated testers (the guys who test the cars) and by the VTS (the garage)

FOI  (Freedom of Information Act) Applications

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by a number of people who have tried to obtain details of data held against their name and have been refused the information they requested.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by the mother of a young girl who has been in the care of her PCT (Primary Care Trust).  Her child was so severely autistic that whilst in hospital developed malnutrition and nearly died.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by a whistle blower at the Royal Bank of Scotland who has alleged senior employees have been taking bribes, in particular gifts and entertainment from a contractor bidding for the supply of new systems worth anything up to £10 million.

A manager for a company who supplies goods to small grocers, garages and corner shops has outlined to us how a prestigious company "cooks the books" and defrauds shopkeepers.

Recently, Whistle Blowers Press Agency has had an inordinate number of telephone calls relating to the decision making process of the FSA.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by a classical singer, who used an insurance broker to obtain her buildings insurance.  The insurance was used by her lenders to indemnify her if a problem occurred with the structure of the building.  When subsidence occured and the insured party made a claim, the insurance company denied liability, albeit they had authorised the builders to complete restoration work.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has already published one story about how ambulances taking patients to A & E are kept at the hospital because of bed and staff shortages.  We have heard of incidents where up to eighteen ambulances have formed a "log jam" at a hospital and patients have been told they will not be examined for up to four hours (they wait on board the ambulance for that length of time) - it is happening throughout the country!

A recently retired army officer has written to us, at Whistle Blowers, and has asked us to dedicate part of our website “to the men and women of our armed forces with the prime objective to provide a platform for serving and ex-members of the armed forces to enlighten the wider public, without fear or prejudice of issues that adversely affect the nature and structure of their operations” (this is a direct quote from the correspondence we have received).

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by a "whistle blower" who has produced evidence of irrational overspending by a local council.  Some of that spending relates to the lavish purchases by staff for food and items for personal use that have been disguised as "corporate purchases".

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been told in order to reduce cost, BAA will shortly announce large scale redundancies, whilst at the same time employing more than the equivalent personnel as "consultants".  Effectively, it means BAA will be employing more staff than they have now and will incur greater but possibly hidden costs.

A member of the Whistle Blowers staff was the owner of a Beneficial Credit Card which he never used.  In January 2008, he was told by Beneficial the card was due to expire and that if he did not use it a new card would not be issued.  He did not use the card.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by a workman at Heathrow Airport, who has alleged there have been a number of safety issues and injuries that have been or should have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive (the HSE).

If you believe the "nurse practitioner" concept is failing patients of if you have evidence of inappropriate treatment, then Whistle Blowers Press Agency would like to hear from you - even more if you are a GP who shares the concerns of our "whistleblower"

An informant has contacted Whistle Blowers Press Agency in relation to the injuries sustained by "The Rifles" during their tour of Afghanistan.

Coincidentally, Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by an NHS official and a senior police officer, both complaining about the unnecessary and lengthy suspensions (in the case of the police officer, she also complained about "protective postings" - a type of suspension, where the accused officer works in a sterile environment, away from the public).

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by a member of the public, who on 20th September 2008 witnessed an altercation between two women at a football match in Seven Oaks, Kent.  One of the women was a Metropolitan Police Chief Inspector, Parm Sandhu and the other was a civillian employee of the Metropolitan Police.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by a former celebrity patient at the "Retreat" clinic on Osea Island, Essex.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has had a number of paramedics contact us from various regions of the UK.  Without exception they have complained about the Government's insistence that a class "A" call for assistance (a life threatening incident) has to be met within 8 minutes.

Since the proposed industrial action was intimated in mid-2009, Whistle Blowers Press Agency has received a succession of contributions from BA cabin crew. Strangely, from time to time, we at Whistle Blowers hear from disgruntled members of the management team and ground crew. Generally speaking, the comment from cabin crew relates to what they see as an oppressive regime that takes little account of passenger or staff welfare.

The death of Stuart Lubbock on 31st March 2001 is well documented and has been the subject of two Police investigations, the second of which was initiated by one of the Whistle Blower directors.

On 28th September 2009, Whistle Blowers Press Agency contacted by a person using the first name Michael, who gave us some startling information about a well known addition to a "group of people".

Yesterday Whistle Blowers Press Agency was contacted by a person calling himself “Sean” who whet our appetite with a story about corruption in one of the country’s best known manufacturers.

In September 2008 Whistle Blowers was contacted by a “whistle blower” who had been employed in Iraq. If true, the information he gave us could have provided the story of the decade. He maintained that from May 2008 until the last weeks in August, American troops had been involved in the excavation of a bunker on the outskirts of Fallujah removing, what he termed as, “yellow slab” (uranium oxide).

This “whistle blower” has told us about maintenance contracts awarded by London Underground, which attract a “bonus” – a “back hander”, awarded by the contractor to some of those involved in the grant of the contracts.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by an informant who has stated that one of the "big five" Banks is looking to make some of its senior executives redundant.

A civilian member of a Police Force has contacted us at Whistle Blowers, asking us to do something about the way the police service is recording attempted burglaries and thefts.

Whistle Blowers Press Agency has been contacted by an off shore worker, who has expressed his concern in respect of many serious safety issues, purposely not investigated by the operators of the North Sea oil/gas platforms.

Recently, Whistle Blowers Press Agency was contacted by a respectable businessman, who as a result of a "scam", has a bank balance £55,000 lighter than it was in September 2008.

We have been contacted by a man who has recently been released from prison in the North of England.  He told us about an inmate, who was imprisoned for rape and kidnapping - offences he has consistently denied.

Robert has been contacted by a lady who underwent radical surgery for breast cancer and within weeks became crippled by pain in her right ankle. It transpired her right ankle bone (the bone which connects your foot to your leg) had lost the blood supply and was “dying” (avascula necrosis is the medical term). Although she was in danger of becoming permanently crippled, there was no apparent reason for the condition.

We have been told that in October 2008 a fatal road accident occurred in Essex and that it involved an American who worked for one of the "Big 5" UK banks.