Royal Victoria Belfast: Heart surgeons threw tools and bullied nurses – record

An “apparent power battle” has been unfolding between some senior docs within the Royal Victoria Hospital’s cardiac surgical operation unit, a leaked inspection record has mentioned.

An impartial assessment of the carrier was once undertaken ultimate yr following long-running considerations concerning the tradition. Last week, UTV reported the assessment had concluded that behavioural problems have been developing a vital chance to affected person protection.

BBC News NI has now observed a leaked replica of the record, which lays naked bullying allegations and claims of a loss of agree with amongst workforce.

The Belfast Trust mentioned its cardiac unit was once “clinically safe with excellent outcomes”.

Some 70 workforce spoke anonymously and the record states there are “clear tensions” between other teams of workforce.

The record additionally detailed the throwing of tools throughout surgical operation in addition to “verbal abuse”, which in a single case had led to an incident record in contemporary months.

“This behaviour is ongoing at the time of writing this report and was widely reported by all who worked in the theatre environment,” it added.

“Whilst there is one consultant who is particularly prone to throwing instruments in theatre, we were told that this behaviour is not unique.

“Staff described that the commonest triggers for grievance have been primarily based round apparatus and staffing. These patterns of behaviours have been reported by means of workforce as happening on a predictable and repeated foundation.”

The report said nursing staff presented an “precious supply of remark of behaviours and apply inside the division, as they’re impartial of the plain energy struggle which has been unfolding between senior advisor scientific factions”.

“It is the nursing workforce in theatres who’ve borne the brunt of the bullying setting that each one workforce were uncovered to…

“Members of all professional groups interviewed reported that the atmosphere in theatres was tense and that some felt this pressure more than others.”

It went on to mention: “This precipitated some completely unacceptable behaviours, that were widely reported as being predominantly directed at the nursing staff, particularly more junior nurses.

“More junior scientific workforce additionally revel in a in particular difficult time by the hands of a few specialists, and it’s our influence that few workforce teams are utterly spared.”

The report also referenced powerful quotes from interviews with staff, including: “Nurses are frequently piggy within the center, seeking to referee disputes between surgeons and anaesthetists” and “I think I’ve a goal on my again”.

In one section of the report, one occasion was outlined where a management decision resulted in a brief period of unannounced absence by four of the cardiac surgeons.

Staff described the unit as being in “chaos” and said “even sufferers who have been prepped for theatre have been cancelled as nursing workforce attempted to pay money for the specialists”.

In its conclusion, the report says the department is safe based on metrics, such as mortality data. However, it goes on to say that cultural issues in the unit represent a significant risk to patient safety.

“We do imagine, on the other hand, that there are spaces the place sufferers are positioned susceptible to hurt, or the place hurt has passed off, on account of tensions, deficient behaviours and a serious reluctance among workforce to lift considerations,” the reviewers said.

The Belfast Trust said: “We are reassured that the impartial exterior assessment accommodates a common popularity of the technical competence and scientific talents of all workforce who paintings there.

“However, the trust fully acknowledges that the details in this independent review are appalling and the behaviour described within it is shocking and indefensible.”

On Tuesday, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt described the location as “appalling” and mentioned behaviours should exchange.

The unit is a regional carrier for sufferers throughout Northern Ireland, with virtually 1,000 operations performed yearly.