2 days ago
5
I write in response to your article on Blackpool Victoria hospital (Leaked report reveals culture of bullying and harassment at scandal-hit NHS hospital, 3 December). I joined the NHS as a research fellow at a large teaching hospital after completing my PhD in public health. I wanted to make a more meaningful impact in the most deprived communities in England but, after two gruelling years of continuous bullying by senior leadership, I was forced to leave.
If I could describe my time at the hospital, it would be soul-destroying – not from working with extremely poor and marginalised communities, but from the toxic culture imposed by senior management. Bullying was widespread, with senior management (who were mostly consultants that had pivoted to research) being the main instigators. On day one I was told that I was going to be made to work “until I drop” by my manager. I had comments made about clothing, which followed the dress code but was labelled “too bright” and “parrot-like”. I tried speaking up, and quickly realised that the director was just as much part of the bullying as the rest. I left and have never looked back.
Your article about Blackpool misses an important point: bullying and harassment cannot be fixed if those in charge are the main instigators. The NHS is in need of a major overhaul. We know Blackpool is not an isolated case. Years ago, we all learned about the surgeon who burned his initials on patients’ livers. To me, this is not just an indication of a remnant culture of 20th-century clinical elitism, but also of a systemic problem in how the NHS currently operates.
Working in the NHS is hard and mentally draining. It should come as no surprise then that those in power turn to bullying to deal with the effects of poor organisational structure. You can implement procedures all you like, but until you create an environment where staff have access to all the necessary resources to do their job, you will not fix bullying.
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