Latest news with #BelfastTrust
ITV News
5 days ago
- Health
- ITV News
Health minister high level intervention at scandal hit Belfast Trust after 'toxic culture' reports
The Health Minister has placed Belfast Trust under the highest level of intervention amid serious concern over behavioural and cultural issues. The unprecedented move by Mike Nesbitt was taken after UTV revealed the details of a damning inspection report into the Royal Victoria Hospital's Cardiac Surgery Unit. UTV uncovered that a culture of poor behaviour by some heart surgeons at the unit led to a 'significant risk to patient safety,' as seen in a damning inspection report. UTV also spoke to a patient who witnessed extraordinary behaviour while on the operating table who alleged she was told to shut up and had gloves thrown at her. In a written statement to the Assembly on Thursday the minister said: "The department's performance accountability process for Belfast Trust has been raised to Level 5, the highest level. 'Level 5 is set out within my department's Support and Intervention Framework (SIF), which is overseen and managed by DoH's Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) and the Public Health Agency (PHA). "This level is expected to be required in only the most serious and exceptional cases.' Mike Nesbitt added: "Level 5 intervention is not about blurring lines of responsibility. "To be clear, it is the responsibility and duty of Belfast Trust – its senior executives and Board – to deliver the action plan for improvement, and to ensure that it leads to tangible improvements in the culture and working environments for this important service in Belfast Trust. 'Level 5 is about ensuring support, oversight and sustained focus. "It will assist the Trust to achieve stabilisation, ahead of its management reset with the appointment of a new chief executive. "I am putting in place external expert support for the Trust and have enhanced Departmental accountability, now formalised as a Departmental Accountability Team." Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Health minister to set out plan to tackle 'bullying' within Belfast Trust
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt is expected to set out his department's next steps in tackling behavioural and cultural issues within the Belfast Trust later on Thursday. Last week, a leaked review laid bare bullying allegations within the regional cardiac surgery unit, with reports of some surgeons throwing instruments at staff during procedures. It is understood the plans could see the unit placed on the highest level of the intervention framework - level five - commonly known as special measures. Health unions have since expressed concerns that the issues are not isolated to one unit within the trust. A hospital trust or facility is placed in special measures when it is rated as being "inadequate", when questions are raised over leadership or when it is unable to make sufficient improvements in a reasonable timeframe. Politicians, including the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member Diane Dodds, have been calling for this to happen, saying it followed a series of controversies within the trust. The chair of the Belfast Trust, Ciaran Mulgrew, has insisted that the organisation is working to resolve the issues. He met the health minister last Friday, with Nesbitt saying afterwards that his department was finalising a series of interventions to help "rebuild staff and public confidence". It is understood that Nesbitt also met health unions and stakeholders earlier this week to brief them on his upcoming plans. He is expected to publish the details in a written statement to the assembly on Thursday. Unison's Patricia McKeown said during her meeting with the health minister the union was very clear about the immediate issue of "poor culture and bad conduct that needs to be sorted out". She told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme that health service unions say the problems within cardiac units are not an "isolated incident". "[It] is symptomatic of a failure of leadership, failure of accountability and governance and co-operation right across our health service," she added. Ms McKeown said the health service cannot be run on whistleblowing. "Whistleblowing is something that happens when real management, real relationships have broken down and that's what needs to be put right," she said. "There's a systemic problem right across the entire health service, it's been going wrong for nearly 20 years bit by bit getting worse as time goes on and that's got to be fixed." She added that unions have models that would "start to put the culture right". "The workforce and unions must be at the table to come up with solutions for a problem that has festered for far too long." The report said an "apparent power battle" had been unfolding between some senior doctors in the cardiac surgical department of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Some 70 staff spoke anonymously and the report stated there were "clear tensions" between different groups of staff. The report also detailed the throwing of instruments during surgery as well as "verbal abuse". The report added that while there was one consultant "particularly prone" to throwing instruments in theatre, the behaviour was not unique and nursing staff were bearing the "brunt of the bullying". In a statement, the Department of Health said the health minister has made clear that the behaviours detailed in the report on the cardiac surgical unit at Belfast Trust are "appalling and he is holding the trust's senior management accountable for its response". "The minister has held detailed meetings with the trust chair and with health service trades unions and representative bodies. "He will inform the NI Assembly by way of a written ministerial statement about a planned series of departmental interventions. "These will include accountability measures as well as the provision of external support to help the trust rebuild staff and public confidence." Surgeons threw instruments and bullied nurses - report Cardiac surgical unit issues will not be ignored, says trust Behaviour of some heart surgeons 'appalling', says minister
BBC News
5 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Belfast Trust: Mike Nesbitt to set out plan after bullying allegations
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt is expected to set out his department's next steps in tackling behavioural and cultural issues within the Belfast Trust later on week, a leaked review laid bare bullying allegations within the regional cardiac surgery unit, with reports of some surgeons throwing instruments at staff during is understood the plans could see the unit placed on the highest level of the intervention framework - level five - commonly known as special unions have since expressed concerns that the issues are not isolated to one unit within the trust. A hospital trust or facility is placed in special measures when it is rated as being "inadequate", when questions are raised over leadership or when it is unable to make sufficient improvements in a reasonable including the DUP assembly member Diane Dodds, have been calling for this to happen, saying it followed a series of controversies within the trust. The chair of the Belfast Trust, Ciaran Mulgrew, has insisted that the organisation is working to resolve the met the health minister last Friday, with Nesbitt saying afterwards that his department was finalising a series of interventions to help "rebuild staff and public confidence".It is understood that Nesbitt also met health unions and stakeholders earlier this week to brief them on his upcoming is expected to publish the details in a written statement to the assembly on Thursday. What did the leaked report say? The report said an "apparent power battle" had been unfolding between some senior doctors in the cardiac surgical department of the Royal Victoria Hospital in 70 staff spoke anonymously and the report stated there were "clear tensions" between different groups of report also detailed the throwing of instruments during surgery as well as "verbal abuse".The report added that while there was one consultant "particularly prone" to throwing instruments in theatre, the behaviour was not unique and nursing staff were bearing the "brunt of the bullying". Accountability In a statement, the Department of Health said the health minister has made clear that the behaviours detailed in the report on the cardiac surgical unit at Belfast Trust are "appalling and he is holding the trust's senior management accountable for its response"."The minister has held detailed meetings with the trust chair and with health service trades unions and representative bodies. "He will inform the NI Assembly by way of a written ministerial statement about a planned series of departmental interventions."These will include accountability measures as well as the provision of external support to help the trust rebuild staff and public confidence."
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Royal Victoria Belfast: Heart surgeons threw instruments and bullied nurses
An "apparent power battle" has been unfolding between some senior doctors in the Royal Victoria Hospital's cardiac surgery unit, a leaked inspection report has independent review of the service was undertaken last year following long-running concerns about the culture. Last week, UTV reported the review had concluded that behavioural issues were creating a significant risk to patient safety. BBC News NI has now seen a leaked copy of the report, which lays bare bullying allegations and claims of a lack of trust among Belfast Trust said its cardiac unit was "clinically safe with excellent outcomes". Some 70 staff spoke anonymously and the report states there are "clear tensions" between different groups of report also detailed the throwing of instruments during surgery as well as "verbal abuse", which in one case had resulted in an incident report in recent months."This behaviour is ongoing at the time of writing this report and was widely reported by all who worked in the theatre environment," it added."Whilst there is one consultant who is particularly prone to throwing instruments in theatre, we were told that this behaviour is not unique."Staff described that the most common triggers for criticism were based around equipment and staffing. These patterns of behaviours were reported by staff as occurring on a predictable and repeated basis."The report said nursing staff presented an "invaluable source of observation of behaviours and practice within the department, as they are independent of the apparent power battle which has been unfolding between senior consultant medical factions"."It is the nursing staff in theatres who have borne the brunt of the bullying environment that all staff have been exposed to…"Members of all professional groups interviewed reported that the atmosphere in theatres was tense and that some felt this pressure more than others."It went on to say: "This precipitated some completely unacceptable behaviours, that were widely reported as being predominantly directed at the nursing staff, particularly more junior nurses."More junior medical staff also experience a particularly challenging time at the hands of some consultants, and it is our impression that few staff groups are completely spared." 'Shocking and indefensible' The report also referenced powerful quotes from interviews with staff, including: "Nurses are often piggy in the middle, trying to referee disputes between surgeons and anaesthetists" and "I feel I have a target on my back".In one section of the report, one occasion was outlined where a management decision resulted in a brief period of unannounced absence by four of the cardiac described the unit as being in "chaos" and said "even patients who had been prepped for theatre were cancelled as nursing staff tried to get hold of the consultants".In its conclusion, the report says the department is safe based on metrics, such as mortality data. However, it goes on to say that cultural issues in the unit represent a significant risk to patient safety."We do believe, however, that there are areas where patients are placed at risk of harm, or where harm has occurred, as a result of tensions, poor behaviours and a severe reluctance amongst staff to raise concerns," the reviewers Belfast Trust said: "We are reassured that the independent external review contains a universal recognition of the technical competence and clinical skills of all staff who work there. "However, the trust fully acknowledges that the details in this independent review are appalling and the behaviour described within it is shocking and indefensible."On Tuesday, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt described the situation as "appalling" and said behaviours must unit is a regional service for patients across Northern Ireland, with almost 1,000 operations carried out every year.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
NI health: Behaviour of some heart surgeons 'appalling', says Mike Nesbitt
A report detailing a culture of poor behaviour by some heart surgeons at Northern Ireland's cardiac surgery unit is "appalling", Stormont's health minister has paper, first reported by UTV, raised serious concerns within the unit and said the issues had led to a "significant risk to patient safety". On Tuesday, Mike Nesbitt said there had clearly been a "bad breakdown in relationships" among senior members of the team and that the report's findings were "entirely unacceptable".In a statement, the Belfast Trust acknowledges that "staff have felt hurt and unable to speak out" and said it is "committed to making changes which we have begun implementing". The independent inspectors were brought in last December to review the cardiac surgery unit, which is based at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, is a regional service for patients across Northern 1,000 operations are carried out by the trust's cardiac surgery unit every Upper Bann assembly member (MLA) Diane Dodds said the report had shown a "litany of problems".She said at one point, an operation had to be cancelled because of "interpersonal differences in theatre" between surgical staff, and that relations had broken down so badly that four surgeons were working from home. The report also found in one dispute staff said they feared violence would break out between colleagues putting patients at 70 staff who spoke to the review as whistle-blowers said some acted inappropriately in dealing with told the assembly that he plans to meet the chair of the Belfast Trust to assess why the issues had been allowed to go on for so also said he expected to see meaningful change as a result of the review."I have never come across anything like this in my first year in post... it is rare but it's incredibly important and it is a very worrying time," said the SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin said her son-in-law is waiting for open heart surgery and that she was "flabbergasted" at the contents of the told the assembly that he was unaware of any resulting disciplinaries from the review but he would follow up when he meets the Belfast Trust.A spokesperson for the Belfast Trust said it is "appalled by the staff experiences described" in the review."While we are reassured that the cardiac surgery service remains clinically safe with excellent outcomes, we accept that there have been behaviours which, at times, have made for an intolerable working environment."However we accept that behaviours must change."We owe it to our staff and the patients they care for to get this right. Belfast Trust has accepted the recommendations of the independent external review and is working swiftly to take these forward."
