Home / Health / Leaked Report: Bullying Endangers Patients at Blackpool Vic
Leaked Report: Bullying Endangers Patients at Blackpool Vic
3 Dec
Summary
- Systemic bullying and harassment affect patient safety at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
- An RCP report found excessive workloads and fear among inexperienced doctors.
- Frequent leadership changes and staffing shortages impact patient care.
- The trust has had five chief executives since 2018, lacking accountability.
A leaked report by the Royal College of Physicians has uncovered systemic bullying, harassment, and racial discrimination among staff at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. This toxic culture has reportedly compromised patient safety, with inexperienced doctors facing excessive workloads and a pervasive 'keeping your head down' mentality. The report, delivered in January, was not widely shared with staff until 10 months later, raising concerns about the timely implementation of its 19 recommendations.
Compounding these issues are longstanding recruitment and retention problems, leading to understaffing and overwhelming workloads, particularly overnight and on weekends. Frequent leadership changes, with five chief executives since 2018, have resulted in a lack of institutional memory and accountability. These factors contribute to fears among doctors about airing problems and a perceived inadequacy in supervision and training across all departments.
In response, the trust stated that substantial changes have been made since the report's delivery, including strengthened training for junior doctors, improved support for overseas-trained doctors, and enhanced mechanisms for raising concerns. Despite these efforts, the British Medical Association has called for an external investigation, citing ongoing concerns about the trust's accountability and the persistence of a 'toxic culture of fear'.
