Hospital staff 'bullied and harassed', review finds

A review into the general surgery department at a Sussex hospital trust has found a "significant proportion" of staff reported experiencing bullying, harassment or discrimination within the previous 12 months.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT) runs Eastbourne District General Hospital and Conquest Hospital in St Leonards.

A summary of the review, seen by the BBC, found women, non-consultant medical staff and ethnic minority staff were among those experiencing the greatest harm.

Dr Simon Merritt, chief medical officer at the trust, said bullying, harassment, racism and sexism had no place in the trust and that it had "taken clear action in response to the findings".

The independent review was commissioned in January 2026 following concerns raised by staff about departmental culture, behaviour and the actions of specific clinicians.

Staff members speaking to the BBC on condition they remained anonymous described "shouting and abuse of black and Asian consultants" in meetings.

The BBC was told that repeated evidence presented to the trust over months had "resulted in no action".

Some staff said trainees were manipulated and coerced to report and complain about colleagues from ethnic minorities.

One staff member said there was a "loss of faith in the trust to deal with the issues which is compromising patient care".

The full review has not been made public but a summary reveals it found evidence that harmful behaviours had become normalised within the general surgery department including "concerning levels" of bullying, harassment, discrimination and micro aggressions.

Detailing the impact on the mental health of staff, the review said psychological safety was found to be significantly compromised, particularly for staff with less formal authority.

Some staff had told the review's authors they felt undermined, with barriers to training opportunities and some raised concerns that a fear of repercussions influenced clinical decision making.

The review considered staff wellbeing which it describes as the "strongest indicator of organisational concern".

It said staff reported "chronic exhaustion, emotional depletion, sustained psychological strain and negative impacts on sleep, relationships and motivation".

The report linked poor wellbeing directly to leadership behaviour, psychological safety concerns and normalised harmful behaviours.

The review had also spoken to staff who had left the trust.

Former staff members described the culture as "unsustainable" and many had linked their decision to leave directly to the departmental environment rather than personal circumstances.

Leadership was described by some leavers as not merely ineffective but actively unsafe.

Merritt said: "Our values of kindness, inclusivity and integrity are not optional; they define the standard of behaviour expected from every colleague, and any conduct that falls short of those values is unacceptable and does not reflect the culture that we expect in any part of our organisation."

He said the general surgery team contained a "committed workforce delivering care for patients under considerable pressure".

"We are proud of the strong values, peer support and genuine commitment to patient care shown by much of the team," he added.

"However, the review has made clear that this professional dedication is being sustained in spite of some serious issues, and that is not acceptable."

He described some of the action taken by the trust including "embedding dedicated support to attend meetings, provide guidance and offer confidential advice to colleagues within the team" and said investigations were under way.

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