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ITV News
08-07-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Senior doctors at Belfast Trust raised concerns over culture 18 months ago
Senior doctors at the Belfast Trust raised serious concerns about the culture within the organisation and its impact on staff wellbeing 18 months ago, UTV can reveal. The doctors warned that some medics were so upset by their treatment by management that they were left feeling suicidal. The claims were made during a meeting in January 2024 between a large number of doctors and consultants from across the Belfast Trust and the organisation's former chairman Ciaran Mulgrew. Mr Mulgrew was not the subject of any of the concerns raised by the doctors. Details of the meeting were outlined in a follow up letter from the group to Mr Mulgrew. The letter, seen by UTV, mentioned how some doctors were in tears during the meeting as they outlined their experiences. The correspondence also claimed there had been "clear reference to suicidal ideation amongst consultant staff" who had been subjected to internal disiplinary procedures, known as the Maintaining High Professional Standards process (MHPS). One consultant told the meeting: 'it is only by good fortune that we had not had a colleague commit suicide due to the ordeal.' Concern was also raised "regarding the culture and perceived lack of psychological safety in the environment in which consultant medical staff work in the BHSCT.' Allegations were also made in the letter that in some cases doctors were placed under the disciplinary process after "raising whistleblowing concerns around patient safety." In a statement the Belfast Trust said: "Belfast Trust supports all staff who wish to tell us of their experiences and we have offered a number of options for them to do so. "We encourage staff to talk to us and we also have a firm commitment to our whistleblowing policy. "We are providing bespoke training, and communicate daily with staff, focusing on patient safety in addition to having dedicated weekly governance meetings. "We continue to work diligently to ensure that we make tangible improvements across the organisation, and in particular, within cardiac surgery services." The Department of Health said: "The Department can confirm that the Permanent Secretary met with the non-executive directors of Belfast Trust on Monday evening. "The Department will continue to provide support for the Trust as it deals with a series of significant challenges including service and funding pressures, governance issues and workplace culture. "The Department has engaged with the Trust over a number of years in relation to its challenges. "Following completion of the independent review of the Trust's cardiac surgery unit, Departmental intervention under its Support and Intervention Framework (SIF) was escalated to Level 5, the highest level.
ITV News
23-06-2025
- Health
- ITV News
Concerns about treatment of staff at Belfast Trust raised two years before cardiac unit scandal
UTV can reveal that concerns about staff being treated poorly at the Belfast Trust were raised to management back in 2023 - two years before the recent cardiac surgery unit scandal. One of the issues that was raised at the time was an alleged culture of fear where staff felt that would be punished for speaking out. There were also reports of alleged bullying, controlling behaviour, as well as a data-driven environment that felt intrusive and without a clear purpose. DUP MLA Diane Dodds said: "I do not understand how any organisation thinks it could actually develop and do really important work that it is supposed to do in this particular atmosphere." The same expert who authored the 2023 briefing is now advising the Health Minister on culture and behaviour in the wake of the cardiac surgery unit scandal. In a statement, the Belfast Trust said it has been working to "create a more open, just, and learning culture" since 2021. It added: "This has included engaging with experts in psychological safety to help develop resources for managers and staff, and to improve culture and behaviours within teams. "There is still work to be done, and numerous cultural programmes of work are underway. "The Trust has begun a campaign to encourage and support staff to speak up, in response to the cardiac surgery review. "This includes a commitment to support staff across the Trust to speak up through various means. Staff have also been signposted to the Trust whistleblowing process, which has been developed considerably over the last few years." Meanwhile, the Department of Health said: "Peter McBride made a presentation in 2023 to the Belfast HSC Trust Board in relation to organisational culture. This reflected the responsibilities of the Trust Board for staff welfare. "The department has been providing oversight and support to the Trust through its Support and Intervention Framework (SIF). This has included the formal commissioning – with the Public Health Agency – of the independent review of the cardiac surgical unit. "The oversight of the Trust has been escalated to Level 5 – a step taken in only the most serious and exceptional cases. "Reviewing whistleblowing processes will be an important part of the Level 5 intervention. The Minister has publicly made clear that he wants assurance that any HSC employee with concerns about bullying or other unacceptable behaviours is properly listened to and supported." Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
ITV News
05-06-2025
- 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.
