NHS board member quit over inaction on bullying

He claims allegations were not taken seriously

NHS Tayside faces a fresh crisis after its whistleblowing champion revealed he is quitting over the board’s failure to investigate bullying.

Munwar Hussain said allegations brought to him by a junior doctor about the abuse of trainees were among the issues not taken seriously enough.

The suicide of a doctor in training at Ninewells is linked to the bullying culture, Mr Hussain claimed.

His concerns were raised by Labour MSP Anas Sarwar following a ministerial statement by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman in Holyrood on Thursday afternoon.

In extracts of the letter read out to MSPs, Mr Hussain revealed how he was told by an ex-doctor in training that they left the NHS due “to issues of systematic bullying and negative cliques”.

Mr Hussain wrote: “Further, there were claims that people were raising issues, but these were not being acted upon by managers, including allegations in the email that a previous trainee took their own life and the stress was unbearable for some.”

It emerged over the weekend that Mr Hussain and two other board members were standing down.

Another two non-executive members of the board have also left in the last few months.

Mr Hussain said he tried to raise his concerns on three separate occasions as part of his whistleblowing updates. He asked for the ex-junior doctor’s testimony to be raised at a board meeting, but that was refused, according to his letter.

Two meetings set up with the strategic director of workforce were cancelled, the Dundee resident said.

Ms Freeman insisted the matter was being properly dealt with by the health board.

“The specific allegations that were reported via that whistleblowing are currently under investigation,” the SNP minister said.

“The chamber should rest assured – I give members my absolute assurance – that I will continue to monitor how those matters progress.

“That is on the basis of the board responding appropriately, in my opinion, to the whistleblowing issues that have been raised with it.”

Ms Freeman, who was updating MSPs following a flurry of resignations from the NHS Tayside board, said Mr Hussain had raised concerns about doctors in training, prescribing, senior management pay, use of public funds, child and adolescent mental health services and transformation.

Speaking after the statement, Mr Sarwar said: “These allegations are deeply worrying and require an immediate inquiry from the health secretary.

“For these allegations to be raised three times by Mr Hussain but not to be properly investigated is appalling.”

Trudy McLeay, who was already on the non-executive board, was unveiled as Mr Hussain’s replacement yesterday.

An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said: “Bullying in any form is never tolerated and all concerns are taken seriously, with the NHS Tayside medical director taking a lead on matters relating to doctors in training.

“We can confirm that all allegations raised in Mr Hussain’s letter to the cabinet secretary are currently being investigated through the appropriate channels.”

There were claims people were raising issues, but these were not being acted upon by managers

Munwar Hussain has left the board of NHS Tayside over what he says is a lack of action in tackling allegations of bullying.