•Bullying "rife" at Hull Royal and Castle Hill
VICTIMS are becoming bullies in a vicious cycle of intimidation at the region's hospital, it has been claimed.
Unison representatives at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust say those who are intimidated by their bosses then end up bullying their subordinates.
Ray Gray, a spokesman for the worker's union, says the culture at the trust is of "top-down bullying".
He said: "We are certainly aware of people who are being bullied within the trust and we are working with them to help get rid of the bullies.
"The culture of bullying is from the top down.
"People who work in the lower grades think if they see the way the trust is being managed is with a bullying culture, they see that that is the done thing."
In last year's NHS staff survey, respondents were asked if they had ever experienced harassment, bullying or abuse at work from managers, team leaders or other colleagues.
At Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, 26 per cent of respondents said they had experienced bullying from colleagues.
Of those, two per cent had experienced it more than ten times.
However, only 423 people out of the trust's 7,500-strong staff responded to the question, so it does not paint a full and clear picture of the true extent of the problem.
Councillor Mike Whitehead, a former employee of the trust, said: "I've already had three or four people come out to say appalling things about what is happening.
"But I think the problem is a lot of people are afraid to speak out.
"I have never ever seen a situation where medical staff are so upset and disengaged with the trust than now.
"The NHS relies on the goodwill and time that staff give and if people aren't feeling motivated and appreciated, this isn't going to be good.
"The trust has lost some fantastic people because of this.
"Doctors are getting to their peak and are the best they will ever be, but then they are leaving – that's a really big concern.
"The trust should own up to its problems and be transparent.
"We have a right to know if there are problems and what is going on.
"If they were truly transparent we wouldn't have these problems now."
The problems at the trust have been further complicated by the departure of chief executive Phil Morley.
In April, he announced he was leaving the trust and said it was "an extremely difficult decision".
The announcement came just two weeks before the Care Quality Commission report was published.
Sir Carruthers is said to have personally visited the trust in February – the same month CQC inspectors went there.
When the Mail asked for a copy of the report, our reporter was told it is not yet available and the date for future publication has not yet been confirmed.
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