Claims of ‘toxic culture’ and bullying at hospital
Staff were ‘silenced’ over patient safety fears, report reveals
AREVIEW at Birmingham’s biggest hospitals trust following allegations of bullying and undue pressure on staff has found ‘substantial issues’ of concern, a brief report has revealed.
A short briefing for councillors by NHS Birmingham and Solihull chief executive David Melborne, offered the first insight into the findings of Professor Mike Bewick and his review team who were tasked with investigating damning allegations made by current and former staff at University Hospitals Birmingham.
More than 50 medics, including some with decades of experience, came forward to criticise an allegedly ‘toxic’ working culture at the trust, many sharing their experiences with MP Preet Kaur Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston). Among the most serious claims that emerged were that whistleblowers concerned about patient safety were silenced with threats of disciplinary action.
They spoke up after a BBC Newsnight investigation highlighted the experiences of consultants who claimed they were driven out after raising concerns. The hospitals trust has previously denied there are widespread issues.
In a written report to Birmingham and Solihull councils’ joint health overview and scrutiny committee meeting, Mr Melborne said there have been ‘no fundamental safety issues at the trust’ uncovered by the review team.
But he added: “That said, there are substantial issues around culture, behaviour, leadership and governance that will need to be addressed”. Those issues are already beginning to be addressed by the interim trust chair Dame Yve Buckland and the interim chief executive Jonathan Brotherton.
To the frustration of those who raised the alarm, no more details
were provided and the full review has been substantially delayed. It was initially expected to be published in February and then early this month, but has been held up.
Mr Melborne addressed this in his briefing, telling councillors: “Given the findings of the review, we have had to put additional processes in place that we couldn’t have predicted at the beginning of it, to enable appropriate time for various organisations and individuals to respond to (it).
He added: “Without those processes we may have encountered legal issues that could delay the publication of the report significantly; this is something we are very keen to avoid given that the report will be crucial to creating the backdrop for UHB to improve.”
Preet Kaur Gill, Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, chairs a cross party reference group set up to hold the review team and NHS Birmingham and Solihull (also known as the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System) to account.
She pledged to ensure the report and the actions that follow lead to meaningful change for the sake of those who had come forward.
“I want to assure them that the group I chair is holding people to account to ensure they get the answers they deserve, and the changes they deserve,” she added.