Findings in cardiac surgery unit report quite appalling, trust chief says

Some of the findings of a report into staff culture at the cardiac surgery unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) are “quite appalling”, the chairman of the Belfast Health Trust Ciaran Mulgrew has said.

Mr Mulgrew held a meeting with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt on Friday about the leaked report, which raised concerns about the working culture and risks to patient safety within the unit in the Belfast hospital.

Mr Nesbitt said he was now finalising a series of Department of Health interventions following the report, which he said brought “shame on our health service”.

The findings of the independent external review, which were first reported by UTV, are said to have included an intolerable working environment and a pattern of consistently poor behaviour within the unit.

During a meeting of the Stormont Health Committee this week, it was stated that the report contained allegations of bullying of junior staff by more senior staff, surgeons working from home and the throwing of medical instruments during operations.

Mr Mulgrew said there had been a “frank exchange of views” in his meeting with Mr Nesbitt.

He said: “Certainly the minister was unambiguous in terms of what it is that he wants, in terms of performance improvement within the Belfast Trust and I think he’s perfectly entitled to want those improvements.

“He left no doubt whatsoever about his desires and his attitude towards the things that need to be progressed.”

Mr Mulgrew said he first saw the findings of the inspection report in recent weeks.

He said: “I think it’s fair to say my reactions would be the same as most other people who read it.

“There were some quite appalling things within the report.

“There were some very comforting things insofar as the level of clinical excellence within the cardiac surgical unit was commended, the skills of the surgeons was commended, the patient outcomes were excellent.

“But it would be remiss of me not to talk about the things that were wrong, and behavioural issues were manifested which, quite frankly, are unacceptable and for anyone to come to work and to feel that they are bullied, or that they can’t speak up is simply not acceptable.

“We had three town hall meetings were we invited everyone who works within the cardiac surgical unit and the ancillary units around it, 150 people came out of a possible 250 and we gave them exactly what we had got from the independent review panel, it was totally unredacted, we didn’t hide anything, we gave everyone a hard copy to take home so they could have a look at all 15 recommendations, recommendations the trust has accepted and adopted.”

Mr Mulgrew defended the trust’s transparency around the report, stating they “were not afraid” of it being leaked to the media.

He said: “We have been as transparent as any public organisation that I can ever recall with a situation as difficult as this.”

Mr Nesbitt said he had told Mr Mulgrew that the behaviour detailed in the report “bring shame on our health service”.

He said: “I will be holding the trust’s senior management accountable for its response to the report.

“I am also finalising a 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.

“We also need to ensure that the overall culture of the entire HSC system is welcoming for all those who work there.

“I want assurance that any employee with concerns about bullying or other unacceptable behaviours is properly listened to and supported.”

The minister said he would be meeting with health trade unions next week to discuss planned department interventions.

DUP MLA Paul Frew said he feared the report was the “tip of the iceberg”.

He added: “It is essential moving forward, our nursing staff need to be heard and need to be treated with dignity and respect.”

Ulster Unionist MLA Alan Chambers said the trust’s response will be measured in “demonstrable actions and not words alone”.

He said: “Details emerging from the report were both disturbing and completely unacceptable.

“The reports of staff being bullied, not only in the wards of the hospital but also within operating theatres, were truly shocking.

“It would not be acceptable in any workplace, but it especially has no place in an operating theatre where life-and-death surgery is being performed.”