NHS Highland bullying behaviour review bid fails
A councillor’s bid to get health chiefs to conduct a review of bullying behaviour within NHS Highland has failed.
Argyll and Bute Council’s policy and resources committee heard an update on the response to a culture survey by the area’s health and social care partnership (HSCP) on Thursday October 15.
Councillor Douglas Philand (independent) tried to submit an amendment which called for the matter to be referred to the full council, with a recommendation a review be conducted by the HSCP’s integration joint board (IJB).
But it only gained the backing of the four SNP councillors on the committee – councillors Audrey Forrest, Lorna Douglas, Sandy Taylor and Richard Trail.
A motion by Councillor Kieron Green that the committee should welcome the actions of the IJB and endorse the HSCP’s approach gained eight votes and was carried.
The Sturrock Report, published in May 2019, suggested hundreds of health workers in NHS Highland had experienced ‘fear, intimidation and inappropriate behaviour at work’.
Councillor Philand said: ‘Sometimes you don’t know what is going on and that is the whole point of asking for this.
‘I know there is a bit of poison at the bottom of the barrel and it will affect the whole lot. Now is the time to be brave enough to say there is a real problem.
‘It is so important to get the culture right as to how people feel. People are employed by us but we are not asking them whether what happened is continuing to happen. I am doing this because I believe it is right for the people who say they are genuinely hurting in this process. Let’s help the people who are needing help.’
Councillor Green, in summing up the initial motion, said: ‘We have had an independent review and follow-on action from NHS Highland.
‘I am aware of staff who will have experienced bullying but with the steps taken following the culture survey, and the work currently in progress to advance the actions arising, I strongly feel we have to give time for change. Let us take a positive step today, recognise the work that has been done and the work that is still to be done.’
Council leader Robin Currie, chairman of the policy and resources committee, seconded the motion. He was joined in backing it by councillors Rory Colville, Bobby Good, Yvonne McNeilly, Gary Mulvaney, Alastair Redman and Elaine Robertson.