THERE are fresh calls for an independent review into the working culture faced by healthcare staff in Argyll and Bute, following a “grossly concerning” survey which found that at least one in ten had experienced recent bullying.
Douglas Philand, a former NHS mental health nurse and independent councillor for mid-Argyll, is pushing for a QC-led probe into the region's health and social care partnership (HSCP).
Mr Philand also wants social care workers, who account for a third of HSCP staff but are directly employed by the council, to be given the chance to share their own experiences.
It comes after a survey of 1540 NHS Highland staff within the Argyll and Bute HSCP, which attracted 508 responses - including 62 from former employees.
Of those who responded, 344 (68 per cent) said they had experienced bullying and harassment, with 167 saying it had occurred in the six months prior to the survey being carried out between February and April.
The research was commissioned by NHS Highland in the wake of the 2019 Sturrock Review into an alleged bullying culture at the health board, which concluded that many staff had suffered “serious harm and trauma”.
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John Sturrock QC highlighted particular problems in Argyll and Bute, including intimidating behaviour by some senior managers, decisions taken without consulting staff that left them “on the back foot and ill prepared”, as well as people living in small communities facing “victimisation, harassment, humiliation and rumour-spreading”.
Mr Sturrock said his own review - predominantly focused on the north Highlands region - could not address these concerns in full.
He said: “A specific review of management practices in Argyll and Bute is necessary and, because the nature of some of the allegations implicate management at a very senior level, consideration should be given to this being conducted by someone from outside the area who is viewed as wholly independent”.
Mr Philand has tabled questions ahead of a special meeting of Argyll and Bute council on Thursday calling on Kieron Green - an independent councillor who is policy lead for health and social care and chair of the integrated joint board between Argyll and Bute council and NHS Highland - to commission a judge-led independent review into bullying and harassment covering NHS and social care staff.
Mr Philand said: “It just seemed so obvious that if you are going to do something within Argyll and Bute that you include the health and social care partnership in total, which is all the staff.
“A QC-led thing gives it potency and independence. That to me would be more credible rather than getting another [council] officer to look at it."
Mr Philand said he was particularly alarmed that 49% of the NHS staff who said they had experienced bullying had encountered it in the six months prior to the survey, despite the warnings of the Sturrock Review.
"That to me is really grossly concerning," said Mr Philand, adding that constituents had since contacted him personally with stories.
“I’ve had about five people contact me saying it’s still current and it’s still happening.
"They described a sort of intimidation: ‘if you don’t do something this will happen to you, or you might not get a job'.
"It’s a subtle bullying and harassment.
"The concern for me is that if people are fearful, how clinically competent are they in the work environment?"
Dr Iain Kennedy, a GP and one of the original NHS Highland whistleblowers, said he had heard from "two or three" individuals in the past six months voicing concerns about bullying in the Argyll and Bute region.
"These have been from doctors, both in general practice and secondary care," said Dr Kennedy.
"The main features that are coming across to me are of very long-standing situations where people who are perceived as serial bullies over many years are still in post.
"It seems to be happening not just a the very senior level, which is what our experience was in north Highland, but happening lower down the chain of command.
“And perhaps I’ve heard a bit more reference to cliques and nepotism than I heard in north Highland.”
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Dr Kennedy said it the results of the survey were "damning" and "pretty sad".
He added: "I feel very sorry for my colleagues in Argyll and Bute because we’re kind of moving on in north Highland.
"The healing process has already started and by all accounts it’s going extremely well."
Hundreds of current and former NHS Highlands staff have come forward to take advantage of the board's offer of written apologies, counselling, and financial compensation.
Joanna Macdonald, chief officer of Argyll and Bute HSCP, said a 100-day action plan has been put in place since the results of the survey in May, including the launch of a 24/7 helpline for staff and the appointment of an external advisor to review recruitment processes.
Staff volunteers have been encouraged to join the Argyll and Bute Culture Group to help improve the organisational culture, and to provide feedback via the twice-weekly virtual meetings with Ms Macdonald.
She added: "NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute HSCP have offered a sincere apology to colleagues who indicated in the Culture Survey that they experienced bullying and harassment."
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