Harrogate hospital investigates bullying culture in estates department

Hospital bosses in Harrogate will launch an investigation into a “culture of bullying” in the trust’s estates department which some staff described as “toxic”.

Behaviour cited in a report included defacing tools or belongings with offensive graffiti, collectively ignoring or ostracising people and damaging belongings of individuals, including gluing of equipment or lockers.

It comes as Harrogate and District Foundation Trust commissioned consultancy firm Deloitte to carry out a review into the trust’s culture and leadership.

The review included Harrogate Integrated Facilities (HIF), a subsidiary of the trust which runs the hospital’s estates.

Following interviews with 52 members of staff and 63 surveys, the report found “widespread concerns” over bullying, leadership and poor recruitment practice in the estates department.

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The report said a “significant number” of those interviewed explicitly stated that bullying was taking place or described events that could be labeled as such. But, it added that it was concerned that some of the reports were dismissed as “banter”.

It said:

“We find it concerning that a significant number (over 20) of those interviewed from within estates dismissed the issues described above as ‘banter’, ‘childish pranks’ and ‘fine, a bit of a laugh’. 

“We were also concerned at the number of staff during interview who felt that some of the behaviours identified above could be excused, on the basis that it was felt recruitment processes had been mishandled or people ‘weren’t up to the job’ or ‘didn’t fit in’.”

Meanwhile, Deloitte found that the approach to recruitment at HIF “did not demonstrate good practice” and recommended a thorough review of its policies.

Among the findings included a number of applicants who were shortlisted and appointed without demonstrating essential criteria and some posts which were not advertised in line with policy.

Further concern was raised over the lack of leadership in estates, with 45 of the 52 members of staff raising concern over communication, decision making and senior management isolating themselves from other workers.

Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate Hospital

Steve Russell, Chief Executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust said the hospital is committed to addressing the findings in the report.

Following the report, the trust board agreed launch an investigation which will be carried out by an external body into reported bullying and poor recruitment practice in the department.

Steve Russell, chief executive at the hospital trust, said the organisation was committed to addressing the findings in the report.

He said: 

“Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust is a values driven organisation; Respectful, Responsible and Passionate. We emphasise the need to treat each other with kindness, civility and compassion. Our strategy is focused on the pursuit of quality improvement and we believe that improving the experience of all our colleagues will lead to better care for our patients.

“To help further improve in delivering the best possible employee experience and in turn the best possible patient experience, a specialist team from Deloitte were commissioned in August 2019 to undertake a neutral assessment and to help us understand in more detail views of which areas we should and could improve upon.

“Deloitte found many important positives about the trust as a place to work and the culture that is fostered. Almost everyone they spoke with described the trust as a ‘great place to work’ and described the culture using words such as ‘friendly’ and ‘family’. Many who had worked elsewhere in the NHS compared the Trust positively to their other experiences.

“At the same time, Deloitte found areas in which there are issues that we need and want to address. We are naturally disappointed to hear this, but pleased, that now identified, we will be to create a better working environment for colleagues and become the outstanding place to work delivering the level of care that we all aspire to.

“We are committed to addressing the findings of Deloitte’s work. We have already put in place new measures to support individual services to develop, and we are taking specific actions to better support staff.”

Parking at Harrogate hospital will remain free for NHS workers
Harrogate Hospital has confirmed parking will remain free for staff, visitors and patients.
It was reported that the government planned to suspend free parking as the pandemic eases. But when The Stray Ferret approached Harrogate District Hospital it told us that free parking would remain in place.
The hospital said:
“Parking remains free for staff, visitors and patients. We already had in place the exemptions listed below for specific patient groups. We didn’t for staff on night shifts but then we put in place free parking for all staff (before the national directive came out) so that was a resolution.”
Amongst those patients who already received concessionary car parking is disabled visitors who held a blue badge, in receipt of specific benefits and those receiving cancer patients. This will continue alongside Harrogate Hospital’s extended scheme.
Harrogate District Hospital car park signage

This news will be warmly welcomed by staff and visitors to the hospital.

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A spokesperson from the Department for Health and Social Care said:

“We have been clear that during the pandemic free hospital parking will be available for NHS and care staff, and this remains the case. From January next year free parking will also become mandatory for disabled people, frequent outpatient attenders, parents of children staying overnight and staff working night shifts. Thousands of NHS patients, staff and visitors are eligible for free hospital car parking under these rules.”

Harrogate Hospital reports no coronavirus deaths for a week

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any new coronavirus deaths for a week, according to the latest NHS figures.

The death toll at the hospital from patients who tested positive for coronavirus remains at 81.

It comes as the latest Office for National Statistics figures show the number of deaths in Harrogate district care homes has passed 100.

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Nationally, a further 26 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England’s hospitals. Of that number, three were in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 49 and 94 years old. One patient aged 71 had no known underlying health conditions.

It takes the national death toll from coronavirus up to 29,103.

No further coronavirus deaths at Harrogate Hospital

Harrogate District Hospital has recorded no further coronavirus deaths, according to latest NHS figures.

It means the death toll from coronavirus at the hospital remains at 81.

Meanwhile, a further 15 people who tested positive for covid-19 have died in England’s hospitals.

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Of that number, one patient died in North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 72 and 96 years old. One patient, aged 96 years, had no known underlying health conditions.

It takes the death toll nationally up to 29,066.

Harrogate District Hospital reports no new coronavirus deaths

Harrogate District Hospital recorded no further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus, according to today’s NHS figures.

It means the death toll from coronavirus at the hospital remains at 81.

The hospital had not reported any deaths for 16 days before the latest death on July 3.

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Meanwhile, 38 more people have died in England’s hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus.

Of that number, one was reported in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 40 and 98 years old. Three patients, aged 65 to 86 years, had no known underlying health conditions.

It takes the death toll across the nation’s hospitals to 29,051.

Harrogate Hospital records no further coronavirus deaths

No further coronavirus deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to today’s NHS figures.

It means the number of deaths at the hospital remains at 81.

Meanwhile, yesterday the hospital reported that the number of patients who had tested positive for coronavirus and been discharged had increased to 139.

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Nationally, a further 22 people who were confirmed with covid-19 have died in hospital. Of that number, two were in North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were between 52 and 99 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

It takes the death toll from coronavirus in England’s hospitals up to 29,013.

No further coronavirus deaths at Harrogate Hospital

No deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital today, according to NHS figures.

It means that the death toll at the hospital remains at 81.

Yesterday saw the first coronavirus death in 16 consecutive days at the hospital and care home deaths near 100 in Harrogate.

Meanwhile, a further 42 people who tested positive for covid-19 have died in England’s hospitals.

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Of that number, six were recorded in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients who died were aged between 22 and 100 years old and six, between the ages of 60 and 94, had no known underlying health conditions.

It means the national total number of deaths in hospitals has increased to 28,969.

Harrogate hospital reports first coronavirus death in more than two weeks

Harrogate District Hospital has reported a coronavirus death for the first time in more than two weeks.

The hospital had not recorded any new deaths for 16 days in a row until today.

That person died on Friday, July 3 and it takes the hospital up to 81 deaths.

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England’s hospitals reported that a further 36 people had died with coronavirus in today’s NHS figures.

Patients were aged between 53 and 98 years old. Two patients, aged 83 and 85, had no known underlying health conditions.

16 days without a coronavirus death at Harrogate hospital

No deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital for 16 consecutive days, according to the latest NHS figures.

It means the death toll at the hospital remains at 80.

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Nationally, 15 more patients have died in hospitals across the country after testing positive for coronavirus. Of that number, three were reported in the North East and Yorkshire.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 42 and 93 years old and all had known underlying health conditions.

It takes the number of total deaths in England’s hospitals up to 28,904.

No coronavirus deaths for two weeks at Harrogate hospital

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any coronavirus deaths for two weeks.

It is the longest time since lockdown that the hospital has gone without reporting that at least one of their patients with COVID-19 has died.

So far, the hospital has reported 80 coronavirus deaths. The last coronavirus death happened on June 18.

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A further 39 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England’s hospitals, taking the total up to 28,871.

Patients were aged between 45 and 99 years old. All patients had known underlying health conditions.