Inquiry into ‘culture of fear’ at hospitals trust
AN INQUIRY has been ordered into claims that a ‘‘culture of fear’’ exists at Birmingham’s biggest hospitals.
It comes after more than 30 doctors at the Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals contacted city MP Preet Kaur Gill and the Birmingham Mail with new allegations about bullying and patient safety.
The interim chief executive at University Hospitals Birmingham, Jonathan Brotherton, has confirmed a three-part review will take place, starting immediately, into a range of issues linked to the ‘‘culture’’ at the hospitals the trust runs.
Ordered by Birmingham and Solihull NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), it will investigate multiple claims. The move is intended to get to the bottom of bullying allegations, some going back years.
Birmingham Edgbaston Labour MP Ms Gill called for the trust board to resign, claiming some of the allegations that have been shared with her were distressing. She said: “Their position is untenable. I have seen evidence of staff threatened with disciplinary action over absences, issues raised about patient safety concerns and the extreme pressure staff say they are under. We cannot have staff safety and patient welfare being compromised. This has happened on the watch of the UHB board.”
The outpouring of concerns from current medics comes after the experiences of two former consultants were highlighted in a BBC Newsnight investigation. It has been a catalyst for others currently working for the trust to speak up.
The Birmingham Post has spoken to respected senior consultants who accuse the leadership of failing to address vital concerns.
“It is so awful; I don’t know where to start,” said one.
Mr Brotherton said he had spoken to hundreds of staff and, like him, they ‘‘did not recognise’’ the bullying environment painted – but he was ‘‘seriously concerned’’ and determined to investigate.
“The staff here have been through an incredible amount. They’ve got us
through a once-in-a-century pandemic; they’re now recovering services really quickly for patients.
“I’ve spoken with over 500 staff in the last 72 hours about this, and people acknowledge there are issues across the organisation with pressures of work, staffing and demands on services, but the overwhelming response from most people to this [claims of systemic bullying] was that they were surprised, disappointed and worried about what they were hearing, about their colleagues and the impact on staff and patient morale.”
He said the review, agreed with Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board, would include:
An independent review of the culture within the Trust, including claims shared with the MP and others;
An NHS England review of the leadership;
An independent review of the allegations made in the BBC Newsnight programme, including claims regarding a review of 12 patient deaths by a whistleblower in 2017 and issues raised by clinicians speaking up about concerns over patient safety and bullying.
But Ms Gill says the plans for a three-pronged NHS inquiry do not go far enough.
She said: “I’m very concerned that the trust and the ICB are rushing into a review, deciding who to appoint, when what they should be doing is looking to do this in a very careful, measured way.
“It needs to be a fully independent review, not something that sounds like an NHS tickbox exercise, as that will not go down well with those who have raised concerns.”