Nurses blast ‘insufferable bully culture’ at NHS trust
“And there’s a very old-fashioned culture of banding wars, so the Sixes who rule the roost are horrible to lower-banded staff.”
A third staff member said: “I’m constantly singled out by a senior member of staff. Even to this day she still makes a point of picking on a certain few.
“She was nice as pie until she got promoted, it’s like she had a personality transplant the second she was handed a navy uniform.”
Jane Royds, director of human resources at the trust, said: “We are aware of specific issues, some of them historical, that staff have raised, and we are working hard to encourage anyone with a concern to raise it.
“The trust takes accusations of bullying and harassment in particular very seriously and fully investigates all allegations.
“Our independent Freedom To Speak Up Guardian works across the trust, inviting staff to raise confidentially with him any concerns they have. His work has been widely publicised and commended by the National Freedom to Speak Up Guardian when she visited in the summer.
‘‘Speaking up gives staff an opportunity to discuss concerns in a constructive way, so they can be nipped in the bud and stopped reaching crisis point.
“We are also working with our junior doctors and staff representatives to improve the reporting of any behaviour that runs counter to the trust’s values.”