NHS Highland staff concerns date back a decade

NHS Highland chiefs had a frenzied time yesterday responding to national media calls about alleged bullying by its top brass.

Among clinicians making the claim in an open letter was long-serving Inverness GP Iain Kennedy, a partner of NHS medical practices at Riverside, Foyers and Cromarty.

He is also medical secretary of the Highland local medical committee and Scotland’s GP representative on the British Medical Association Council.

“People are terrified,” he said.

“If they speak out they’re intimidated and marginalised.

“Every member of the executive team needs to examine themselves and ask if they could have spoken out and protected doctors, nurses and senior managers over the years rather than choosing, perhaps, to be a bystander.

“These are concerns we’ve had for a decade that we raised formally in 2014, when the area clinical forum was asked to respond to the Frances Report (into allegations involving standards at the Mid Staffordshire Hospital) and we recognised identical features in NHS Highland.

“Nothing was done.

“There needs to be a correct record of what’s gone on.

“It mustn’t be brushed under the carpet any more because we fear the same culture will perpetuate when there’s a change of (Highland) chief executive.”

Health board chief executive Elaine Mead is currently serving notice. Her successor is expected to be announced next month.

Dr Kennedy wants an independent inquiry into NHS Highland’s track record over the past decade.

He believes “possibly 200” NHS careers have been destroyed by alleged bullying and that the organisation’s reputation has contributed to recruitment difficulties.

Asked what the complaints entailed, he cited examples of “talented” individuals whose suggestions for change were soon stamped on by management.

“Criticism is not accepted at NHS Highland,” Dr Kennedy said. “They get silent treatment or are sometimes taken into rooms and had strong words. The foul language used in NHS Highland is cringe-worthy. I won’t repeat the blasphemous and foul language that I have witnessed within many occasions within NHS Highland.

“People tell me they are humiliated in front of colleagues. A number of people have suffered psychiatric injuries from the behaviour.”

The joint statement “on behalf of GPs and consultants” is signed by four senior personnel and entitled “Bullying Culture NHS Highland”.

It claimed that a practice of suppressing criticism, emanating “from the very top” had led to “a culture of fear and intimidation” and “affected the quality of care for patients.”

NHS Highland chairman David Alston’s email to staff stated: “These are very serious allegations and will be fully investigated including any concerns which may impact on the care of our patients and service users.”

Liz Gordon of the GMB union, which represents many health staff, said: “NHS Highland’s institutional bullying has been widely known about. We need an external independent review.”

Scottish Labour’s shadow health minister David Stewart said he was “extremely concerned” and would be calling for “a full and frank independent investigation”.