Bullying rife on wards claims worker

A worker at troubled Stafford Hospital has claimed bullying was "rife" on wards with threats from managers leaving staff too scared to speak out over poor standards.

The public inquiry into failures at the hospital heard from the trust's bereavement officer Kath Fox, who said staff were worried about the job cuts brought in by former hospital chief executive Martin Yeates in 2006.

Mrs Fox, who is still employed at the hospital, said nurses had "subversive" conversations with her in corridors but would not be prepared to speak out.

She blamed the failure of staff to raise the alarm on the culture that she said was prevalent at the hospital.

"It was the culture of the trust, and I hate to use that word so much, because everybody's using it, but it was just not the thing that you did," she said. "It didn't matter whether you were a nurse, a housekeeper, a porter, you didn't stick your head above the parapet."

Tom Kark QC, counsel to the inquiry, asked why she, as a Unison branch officer, did not raise the alarm but Mrs Fox said she did try and added that the regional office of the union knew about the bullying culture.

She also said she herself feared "repercussions."

Mrs Fox said former chief executive Martin Yeates came across as open and honest but behind closed doors he was different. She said union members would not meet with him alone.

Asked why she replied: "Because how he was when we were on our own was different than when somebody was with us. He was quite intimidating."

Mrs Fox said the issue of bullying was raised at the committee where managers and union reps met but she criticised the hospital because the minutes of the committee did not record the discussion on bullying.

She said the unions repeatedly complained about the minutes being inaccurate. It is estimated between 400 and 1,200 people may have died unnecessarily due to poor care at the hospital.