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Health chiefs say action to combat bullying at NHS Highland will be 'long-term initiative'


By Ali Morrison

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Action to tackle bullying at NHS Highland will be a long-term initiative, health bosses have been told.

A meeting of the health authority’s board heard that bullying continues to be an issue, two years after it was first raised by whistleblowers.

Fiona Hogg, NHS Highland’s director of human resources, acknowledged there were still one or two cases coming forward each month.

But she said various measures had been implemented to address the issue, including the continued roll-out of Courageous Conversations training which aims to support early resolution and address concerns.

A revised training programme has also been proposed in order to increase participation, as a culture change will require widespread involvement across the organisation.

An external review being carried out into discipline, grievance, bullying and harassment processes is expected to report back before the end of October.

Also, a guardian service implemented in August to give staff support and advice received 51 calls and 88 emails in the first month seeking further information about the service.

Adam Palmer, NHS Highland’s employee director, welcomed the initiatives but said concerns still existed.

"This is not a historical issue only but a live issue about behaviours happening," he said.

"There is a perception in parts of the organisation that nothing has changed."

Ms Hogg said it was important to recognise it would be a long journey.

"There are still some incidents you would expect to come through, but not a large number of formal complaints being raised," she said.

Board chairman Professor Boyd Robertson said the work was long-term and urged patience as the board and organisation addressed the issues.

"We have heard from Fiona about actions being taken and mechanisms which have been put into place," he said.

"The initiatives have succeeded in getting a response from the workforce.

"We are on a journey here.

"You cannot change behaviour overnight."

After the meeting, an NHS spokesman refuted previous reports of widespread bullying and a lack of management capability.

He said the report presented to the board reflected the significant progress made while recognising it was a long-term journey.

"We acknowledge that there are still instances where poor behaviours are experienced and we are focused on resolving this, in partnership with colleagues, managers and trade unions," he said.

"Our incoming chief executive Pam Dudek will be at the forefront of taking this forward and ensuring that we hear the thoughts and experiences across NHS Highland as we continue to build the trust and confidence of our colleagues and our communities."

Related story: Bullying still an issue at NHS Highland

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