Integrity
Integrity is an important condition for fulfilling our mission ‘Together we improve the health of people and create the healthcare of tomorrow'. We are actively working on this through This is Us . Whether in the way we act towards each other (social integrity), how we do research (scientific integrity), how we handle business choices (business integrity), or how we act towards patients and stakeholders in research (professional integrity). Our way of working is described in our Integrity code of conduct and in our Research code. These codes also indicate to whom a (suspected) breach of (scientific) integrity can be reported.
Ombuds- and Confidential Affairs
In 2024, the Bureau for Ombuds- and Confidential Affairs received 322 notifications (as opposed to 276 in 2023).
As in 2023, most of the notifications in 2024 pertained to questions and issues regarding co-working problems and/or conflict situations. 69 Issues had to do with a situation between one or more employees and a manager, and in 51 cases, it was a situation between employees only. Notifications in these categories mostly had to do with disturbed communication patterns, work pressure, employees not feeling heard by their managers, and insufficiently developed leadership qualities. Interventions from the bureau of ombuds- and confidential affairs mainly consisted of offering advice, guidance or mediation, aimed at de-escalation and restoring cooperation between employee(s) and manager(s) or between employees themselves. When several notifications were received with regard to a specific division or manager, the ombudsman and confidential matters office launched an investigation where they conducted interviews with the people involved to identify the situation and make suitable recommendations.
Notifications of unwanted behavior rose from 38 in 2023 to 48 in 2024. The majority (33) were about issues in the category of moral harassment, and 4 pertained to sexual harassment. Mostly, employees who report unwanted behavior wanted to talk with a confidential counselor from the bureau of ombuds- and confidential affairs, but did not want to have it discussed with the person who is accused. The bureau for ombuds- and confidential affairs in their comprehensive annual report of 2024 focused specifically on this topic and made recommendations to increase people’s willingness to report. In this regard, UMC Utrecht also decided that all UMC Utrecht employees must follow the e-learning course on ‘Wanted behavior at UMC Utrecht’ or bystander training in 2025.
Regarding social safety in general, the bureau of ombuds- and confidential affairs collaborated, when possible and appropriate, with our This is us program. For example by jointly facilitating talks about wanted behavior. In addition, the bureau of ombuds- and confidential affairs organized presentations and workshops on ‘Wanted behavior in the workplace’ within teams and divisions.
The bureau reported in its separate annual report of 2024 on further actions and recommendations from the bureau of ombuds- and confidential affairs in 2024 and follow-up on recommendations made in 2023, such as guidance for PhD students, how to deal with generational differences, and social safety.
Whistleblower procedure
At UMC Utrecht we want to avoid malpractices in as far as we can. It is therefore important for (serious suspicions of) malpractices to be reported. Our Whistleblower procedure describes the procedures for reporting and investigating malpractices in our organization. All alerts are handled with care.
In 2024, one alert was made to the Whistleblower Commission in the scope of the UMC Utrecht Whistleblower Procedures. After studying the notification, the Whistleblower Commission concluded that it was not an alert in the sense of the UMC Utrecht Whistleblower Procedure of 2024.
In 2022, Utrecht Holdings reported irregularities in which three (former) employees were involved. The ongoing criminal investigation drew media attention at the end of 2023, since one of the parties involved is active in national politics.
