My wife challenged a decision and she has been suspended for over a year on full pay because the Trust can not accept the fact that they’ve lost the argument
My experience is that HR and other back office functions fail to support staff and are often bullying or at least using a hostile or coercive approach to intimidate staff and force them to do what HR want instead of resolving problems
Thank you all for raising these important points. The impact of bullying is one of the reasons I’ve made looking after and supporting the health and care workforce one of my top priorities.
And this is not a new issue. The NHS Staff Survey has shown a consistent picture over many years that about a quarter of our staff have reported being bullied.
This cannot continue. Employers across the country are responsible for looking after the health and wellbeing of their staff and that includes stamping out bullying. But employers need help and support themselves. I know the solutions are not easy and need local leadership. That’ s why I’m committed to continuing the good partnership work that representatives from national and local NHS and social care bodies and trade unions are doing to tackle the issue.
In 2016, they launched their “Collective Call for Action to tackle bullying…” which included encouraging organisations to work with their staff and staff representatives to make a public pledge to tackle bullying and update staff on the progress they are making. Now in its second year, the “Call to action…” is looking at providing better support and training for line managers; highlighting the impact of bullying on patient care and ensuring that system leaders are providing the environment within which organisations can offer their staff a learning, supportive culture in which they can thrive, develop their careers and feel safe in challenging and reporting bad behaviour when they see it.
The latest advice, guidance and good practice is available from NHS Employers’ website www.nhsemployers.org
I am also aware that the Royal colleges are working together and with unions and Government departments across the UK to challenge poor behaviour and encourage kindness and respect of themselves, their colleagues across all professions and disciplines, and those they treat and care for. This includes, for example, reinforcing the need to recruit people with the right values and behaviours for caring professions and then reminding staff of the need for kindness and courtesy throughout their training and beyond.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts – please keep on engaging through the platform.
Thank you for your reply and the initiatives in place. It is indeed a longstanding problem and entrenched. Please look at Recruitment practices and performance management approaches at all levels. What can be delivered within a cost envelope takes courage and transparency
My wife has been told that she is not going to be paid unless she accepts a punishment that she appealed against, investigated by the NMC who concluded she has no question to answer, the internal investigation by the Trust could not find any evidence. She’s been back on return to work, scheduled for occupational health but will still not be paid until she accepts the punishment
James Page 7 months ago
I left a NHS Trust and moved to a better trust because of bullying and the bully still work at the old trust
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Mike Fuller 7 months ago
Yes, quite often it seems that the person being bullied is moved on whilst the bully remains in post. I've seen that happen several times
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Kwadwo Wadee 7 months ago
My wife challenged a decision and she has been suspended for over a year on full pay because the Trust can not accept the fact that they’ve lost the argument
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Eleanor Levy 6 months ago
My experience is that HR and other back office functions fail to support staff and are often bullying or at least using a hostile or coercive approach to intimidate staff and force them to do what HR want instead of resolving problems
Reply 0
Matt Hancock 6 months ago
Thank you all for raising these important points. The impact of bullying is one of the reasons I’ve made looking after and supporting the health and care workforce one of my top priorities.
And this is not a new issue. The NHS Staff Survey has shown a consistent picture over many years that about a quarter of our staff have reported being bullied.
This cannot continue. Employers across the country are responsible for looking after the health and wellbeing of their staff and that includes stamping out bullying. But employers need help and support themselves. I know the solutions are not easy and need local leadership. That’ s why I’m committed to continuing the good partnership work that representatives from national and local NHS and social care bodies and trade unions are doing to tackle the issue.
In 2016, they launched their “Collective Call for Action to tackle bullying…” which included encouraging organisations to work with their staff and staff representatives to make a public pledge to tackle bullying and update staff on the progress they are making. Now in its second year, the “Call to action…” is looking at providing better support and training for line managers; highlighting the impact of bullying on patient care and ensuring that system leaders are providing the environment within which organisations can offer their staff a learning, supportive culture in which they can thrive, develop their careers and feel safe in challenging and reporting bad behaviour when they see it.
The latest advice, guidance and good practice is available from NHS Employers’ website www.nhsemployers.org
I am also aware that the Royal colleges are working together and with unions and Government departments across the UK to challenge poor behaviour and encourage kindness and respect of themselves, their colleagues across all professions and disciplines, and those they treat and care for. This includes, for example, reinforcing the need to recruit people with the right values and behaviours for caring professions and then reminding staff of the need for kindness and courtesy throughout their training and beyond.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts – please keep on engaging through the platform.
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Lynne Bowers 6 months ago
Thank you for your reply and the initiatives in place. It is indeed a longstanding problem and entrenched. Please look at Recruitment practices and performance management approaches at all levels. What can be delivered within a cost envelope takes courage and transparency
Reply 0
Kwadwo Wadee 6 months ago
My wife has been told that she is not going to be paid unless she accepts a punishment that she appealed against, investigated by the NMC who concluded she has no question to answer, the internal investigation by the Trust could not find any evidence. She’s been back on return to work, scheduled for occupational health but will still not be paid until she accepts the punishment
Reply 0