Hospital staff being ‘bullied into silence’

Major crisis Workers and at care facility patients ‘failed’

STAFF in a hospital at the centre of a whistleblower storm are being “bullied into silence” by management, it was claimed yesterday.

This week a nurse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital spoke out about “rampant” violent assaults by patients and a “reckless and dangerous” work environment that has developed there.

The whistleblower warned “someone will get killed” if issues at the Antrim facility are not dealt with.

More staff have since come forward but some claimed they were told not to speak to the press – or they would face suspension.

One said: “Everyone was glad when someone spoke out, because the situation can’t go on for staff, patients and the future of Muckamore Abbey.

“I mean, why are we being treated like this? Both patients and staff are being failed and now we’re being told not to talk to the press by the bosses?”

According to several staff members morale is at “rock bottom” over “mass suspensions” and a lack of support for staff from senior Trust officials.

The whistleblower’s account was corroborated by six sources at the facility. It is now understood an “urgent meeting” at Muckamore has been called for August 8 for all Unison staff members at the hospital, according to posters placed around the facility over the past two days.

Another insider said yesterday there is “real crisis” at the hospital, which could see “it shut its doors completely in the not-too-distant future”.

They added: “We used to do nothing but good here – we don’t deserve this. Management are not willing to come on to the ward to help us out, but expect staff to work in these conditions. Day-to-day violent assaults, with no repercussions, rockbottom morale and stress levels off the charts. We get the worst of the worst, and no support. Our job is hard enough.

“We understand the risks of the job, of course. But this is not what we used to do, I used to love to come into work, now I dread it. All of us here are working with critical staffing numbers, increasing the risk for both patients and staff – who at this stage feel they are more vulner- able than some of the patients attacking them every day.”

Belfast Trust acknowledged there are issues at the facility. It said: “[We] confirm that a number of staff are currently placed on precautionary suspension following a number of safeguarding investigations.

“The Trust has mechanisms available to provide staff with support. These include Trust Occupational Health Services, Staffcare Services and an independent Counselling Support for Learning Disability Staff.”

I used to love work, now I dread it. We get worst of the worst SOURCE MUCKAMORE ABBEY YESTERDAY

DISPUTES Muckamore