Pharma Mate for speaking up: whistleblowing support for healthcare staff
Raising a concern at work is hard, and the first question is who to ask. Pharma Mate is a free, independent UK directory for healthcare staff. The site lists advice services for speaking up and explains NDAs, protected disclosures and confidentiality.
- By Nick Johnson
- Last checked 11 Oct 2026 at 11:18pm
- Information, not legal advice
What Pharma Mate is
Pharma Mate is a support site, not a shop. The site sells nothing, and no provider pays for a listing. Pharmacists, doctors, nurses, dentists, students and trainees use the directory to find the right service for a work problem and for the strain the problem causes.
Speaking up services on Pharma Mate
- Protect
- A whistleblowing advice charity. Protect gives free, confidential advice to workers unsure whether or how to raise a concern. Protect does not investigate concerns for callers.
- Freedom to Speak Up Guardians
- Guardians work in NHS organisations in England. Pharma Mate explains how to find yours and what a guardian does.
- Acas
- Official employment guidance and a helpline for England, Scotland and Wales. Staff in Northern Ireland use the Labour Relations Agency.
- Guides
- Plain English guides on NDAs, protected disclosures and confidentiality questions.
Three checks Pharma Mate suggests
Each check comes from the guidance on the Pharma Mate site.
Ask what confidential means
Ask a service about information sharing and any safety or professional exceptions before you give sensitive details.
Keep patient details out
Keep patient information out of informal groups and chats.
Separate the three needs
The safety response, legal advice and emotional support come from different services. Pharma Mate lists all three kinds.
Students and trainees
Pharma Mate has a page for students and trainees. The support finder filters by profession, UK nation and the kind of help you need, and your choices stay in your browser.
Urgent help
Pharma Mate is not a crisis service or helpline. In an emergency call 999. For urgent mental health help call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option in England, or call Samaritans on 116 123.
More about Pharma Mate
- Pharma Mate for pharmacists and pharmacy teams on Monj.
- Pharma Mate for doctors and prescribers on iGovy.
- Pharma Mate for nurses and clinicians on Ogovy.
Pharma Mate and speaking up: questions
Does Pharma Mate give legal advice?
No. Pharma Mate is an information site. The directory lists services such as Protect and Acas, which explain your options.
Who helps a healthcare worker raise a concern?
Protect gives free, confidential whistleblowing advice across the UK. In NHS organisations in England, a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian supports staff who speak up.
Does Pharma Mate cover Northern Ireland?
Yes. The directory covers all four UK nations and names the Northern Ireland service where the rules differ, such as the Labour Relations Agency.
Is Pharma Mate free?
Yes. The directory and every guide are free, with no account.
Dayo is a separate service comparing medicine prices for patients. Dayo does not give medical or legal advice.