Hospital staff 'uncomfortable' about raising concerns

The report to the board said more concerns were being lodged as the scheme was gathering momentum

Staff at one of Bristol's hospitals do not feel comfortable raising concerns about "unsafe clinical practice".

A report revealed fewer than two-thirds of staff at Southmead Hospital's North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) feel "safe" to speak up about issues.

NBT board members called the findings "very concerning" and pledged to step up the trust's Freedom To Speak Up initiative.

It encourages workers to flag issues and bosses to listen and take action.

NBT chairwoman Michele Romaine said: "Why as an organisation would we not want to be a place where people felt safe to say what they needed to say to us?

"We are in the process, we are not there yet."

The report to the board said more concerns were being lodged as the scheme was gathering momentum.

Most of the concerns were about employee safety, including staffing levels, followed by "bullying and harassment".