Worksop NHS Trust told to tackle 'toxic workplace culture'

The British Medical Association says the clinician has been excluded from work after raising concerns at the Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS trust.

Workers are entitled to protection under whistleblowing laws if they make disclosures in the public interest, but the union claims the medic has faced “unfair treatment” for doing so.

The dispute has been simmering for months at the trust which employs more than 7,000 people at four hospitals in Doncaster and north Nottinghamshire.

The doctor, who is not being named by The Yorkshire Post, has been absent for a lengthy period due to illness.

Shazia Karim, head of the BMA’s Yorkshire and North East region, said: “The BMA has raised serious concerns regarding the bullying and harassment of a senior doctor who as a consequence of raising concerns has been excluded from the trust.

“Doctors must feel able to speak out to make protected disclosures which they deem to be in the public interest and have their voices heard without suffering consequences.

“It is unacceptable that any employee should be subject to unfair treatment for raising such concerns and this is further evidence of the toxic workplace culture at this trust that needs to be urgently addressed.

“All employees should feel able to speak up without facing retaliation or suffer any form of detriment.”

In a message to medical staff at the trust in December, managers said its policies had been followed and independent external support had been sought to investigate concerns raised by the clinician.

Over claims circulating within the trust that the medic had been “unlawfully excluded” from duties, managers said this was not the case.

In response, the BMA told trust doctors the clinician had been prevented from returning to work by the trust and “this decision amounts to an unlawful exclusion, as there is no such basis or any justification for this”.

Separately, a senior elected governor quit in August last year alleging he had faced “bullying and intimidation” from trust leaders. Governors represent the wider public to hold non-executives to account for the NHS trust board’s performance.

In his resignation letter obtained by the Yorkshire Post, he claimed he was being prevented “from holding NEDs (non-executive directors) to account and thus fulfilling the statutory role of a governor”.

The following month the trust’s board agreed governors would no longer be invited to observe its committee meetings, which are held in private, citing national best practice.

A new report by the trust’s Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, published earlier this month (MAY), revealed increased concerns over bullying and harassment. Complaints were up from 17 to 25 in the 12 months to March although this remains in line with the national average.

As a result of the findings, the trust is carrying out a review into increased reporting of bullying and harassment as well as inappropriate behaviours.

In a statement, the trust said: “We do not comment on individual cases.

“As a trust we are committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive working environment for all colleagues.

“As ever we encourage our union partners to work with us directly, through established and appropriate formal channels so that any concerns can be properly investigated and addressed.”