A "significant deterioration" in leadership at an NHS trust probably had a "knock-on effect" on its standard of services, a watchdog has found.
Inspectors found staff felt encouraged to "turn a blind eye" to bullying in hospitals run by the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) downgraded the trust's overall rating to "requires improvement".
The trust said it "fully accepts" the report and that recommendations were being worked on "as a matter of urgency".
Ann Ford, CQC's director of operations in the north, said: "We found a significant deterioration in how well the trust was being led.
"Our experience tells us that when a trust isn't well led, this has a knock-on effect on the standard of services being provided to people.
"Some staff told us that bullying was a normal occurrence, and they were encouraged to 'turn a blind eye' and not report this behaviour.
"This is completely unacceptable."
Source: BBC News, 25 January 2024
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