EXCLUSIVE: Bullying is rife at the East Yorkshire's two hospitals and staff who question management are being forced out, it is claimed.
Staff at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, claim the damning Care Quality Commission (CQC) report published last month was only the tip of the iceberg.
Inspectors reported a "culture of bullying" in some departments but claims have been made the problems go much deeper. The trust has hired ACAS – an organisation that helps to resolve employment disputes.
Councillor Mike Whitehead, a former general manager of critical care and surgery at the trust, says staff fear for their jobs if they speak out against managers and many are not prepared to make their concerns known.
He claims staff intimidation is rife and lists at least six senior doctors who he thinks have left in the past few months because of the problems.
Cllr Whitehead has personally spoken to staff and says their working conditions are "appalling".
He said: "Many people have serious concerns about the management of the trust, but because of the fear of recrimination due to the bullying culture, they are not prepared to make their concerns known publicly.
"I am therefore calling for a public inquiry into the failings of the trust management so that anyone who is prepared to go on the record about their concerns be given full protection against any potential recrimination.
"Bullying shouldn't be tolerated anywhere, particularly in a public service responsible for providing care and treatment for the most vulnerable people in society."
It is claimed morale is at an all-time low at the trust.
Mr Whitehead says with little money available and staff working beyond their regular working hours, the added pressures of bullying are pushing them to breaking point. He believes this may be the reason why students from Hull York Medical School (HYMS) seem reluctant to join the team.
In May, the Mail reported how the trust was struggling to staff doctor roles, despite HYMS having a base within the Hull Royal Infirmary grounds.
The CQC, whose inspectors visited in February, found junior doctors were being forced to undertake work they were not qualified to do because of a shortage of staff.Speaking in May, Hull North MP Diana Johnson said she could not understand why junior doctors were not staying to take jobs at the hospitals. She was "particularly anxious as that was one of the main reasons HYMS was set up in the first place".
Mr Whitehead said: "The CQC report didn't say why it was happening, they were only reporting what they were told.
"My theory is that at HYMS, they realise it is an awful place to work and they don't want to come to the trust. Doctors should be thinking of putting down roots here – they should be asking these medical students why they don't want to stay."
A spokesman for Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said it would be responding to all the areas highlighted for improvement in its recent CQC report.
He said: "The suggestion that some groups of staff feel they may be experiencing bullying is one that the trust has taken extremely seriously.
"We have already sought the independent services of ACAS, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, to help address this issue.
"ACAS has a vast amount of experience and a proven track record in working with large organisations in relation to bullying cultures.
"We are confident that, as a truly independent organisation, ACAS will provide our staff with enough opportunities to raise any concerns with the right people, and in a truly anonymous way. This includes holding discussion sessions away from trust premises and without any members of the trust's senior management team in attendance.
"Based on the ACAS findings, and with the full support of our staff side colleagues, we are committed to tackling this issue and implementing any recommendations for improvement."
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