Trust orders review after racism complaints

One of the country’s biggest trusts has ordered a review following staff accusations of racism and bullying, including an official complaint against a board member, HSJ can reveal.

Mike Baker, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust’s senior independent director, has commissioned The Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion to review its diversity and inclusion policies in response to a number of incidents.

This review, started in June, is taking place while the trust separately investigates an official complaint of bullying and racism made against one of its directors, HSJ understands. The specific nature of the complaint against the director, who HSJ has decided not to name, is unclear.

The complaint is among a number of issues that the trust has dealt with during the past 18 months, including staff receiving an “anonymous” email describing “distressing experiences” of employees from a minority ethnic background.

In June 2024, an emergency department worker at one of LTHT’s hospitals was accused of unprofessional conduct for the way they responded to being racially abused on shift, and later faced disciplinary action.

A group of more than 40 medical consultants working in the trust’s emergency departments signed a letter voicing their support for the worker, who they described as a “dedicated and incredibly well-liked team player”.

In the letter, seen by HSJ, the consultants said the disciplinary actions faced by the worker appeared “unjust and disproportionate” given the circumstances of the incident, which raised “serious questions” about the “handling of workplace harassment and the rights of staff members to maintain their dignity and safety”.

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Source: HSJ, 4 September 2025