Three investigations launched into trust beset by bullying and safety scandals

Three “major” reviews are being launched into a struggling teaching trust in response to growing concerns over bullying and poor workplace culture.

Birmingham and Solihull integrated care board has begun a series of investigations into University Hospitals Birmingham, whose chief executive announced he was standing down last month.

The first review will get under way immediately and will focus on specific allegations made recently on BBC Newsnight. These include patient safety concerns, the “bullying” of clinicians and the issues raised by a review of 12 patient deaths undertaken by former consultant Dr Manos Nikolousis in 2017.

It will be led by an “experienced senior independent clinician” from outside the local health system who is expected to report by the end of January. 

The second and third investigations will review the trust’s leadership and broader cultural issues respectively. The probes will be carried out with UHB and NHS England. Both are expected to report in the first half of 2023. 

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Source: HSJ, 9 December 2022