No quick fix to North East Ambulance Service bullying - bosses

A NEAS chief said recovery of staff morale was "fragile"

Health bosses say there is no "quick fix" to combat bullying in the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS).

A report - described by a doctor as "harrowing" - published in February saw NEAS heavily criticised after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.

The service was told it required improvement and its leadership and emergency care were branded "inadequate".

Two NEAS chiefs appeared before councillors in Newcastle on Thursday.

The report included concerns paramedics were responding to emergencies with medicines that were out of date or missing, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Toxic culture'

Newcastle City Council's health scrutiny committee was told there had been "significant changes" since the CQC's visits in 2022, particularly in resolving the medication issues for ambulance crews.

However, the health bosses conceded that culture problems remained.

Inspectors had highlighted concerns over a "toxic culture across the organisation and low morale", with some staff claiming they were used as "scapegoats" and were fearful of reporting incidents.

Mark Cotton, NEAS's assistant director of communications and engagement, told the committee staff had felt bullied by their managers.

He said a shift in culture "takes time" and would not be "one of those quick fixes".

Mr Cotton said he had seen "green shoots of recovery" in staff morale after the pandemic left people "feeling significantly deteriorated", but that is "quite a fragile recovery at the moment".

Ambulances not having the right drugs at an emergency should be a "never event", the committee chair said

A short-term solution to address medication management issues had been found, the committee heard.

Initial medicine audits carried out at the end of 2022 found 34 of its 55 ambulance stations were not compliant. That number has improved to only four being non-compliant.

Committee chair councillor Wendy Taylor, also a doctor at the Freeman Hospital, said she found the CQC report "pretty harrowing reading" and that ambulances not having the right drugs when they arrive at an emergency should be a "never event" as it could cost lives.