NHS Highland pays out £2.8m to bullied staff

A Scottish health board has paid out more than £2.8m to employees who have experienced bullying at work.

Whistleblowers exposed a "culture of bullying" at NHS Highland four years ago.

A Scottish government-commissioned review suggested hundreds of health workers may have experienced inappropriate behaviour.

NHS Highland has concluded a two-year "healing process" with a total of 233 pay-outs to current or former staff.

The £2,825,000 total involved average payments of £10,386. Two people received pay-outs of between £60,000 and £95,000.

The health board's process involved an independent panel hearing bullying cases.

• Bullying 'remains a concern' at NHS Highland

• 'Healing process' offered to bullied NHS staff

There were 340 applications to the panel but, after some people dropped out, 272 people ended up progressing to a hearing.

Not all received pay-outs. Some did not request a payment and for 25 people the request was declined.

Last year, NHS Highland estimated the final cost of settlements could run to £3.4m.

A report to NHS Highland's board, which was meeting on Tuesday, said the total cost for the scheme was not yet known as some costs, particularly for psychological therapies, would be invoiced over coming months.

The health board said further work had still to be done. It said the Covid pandemic had caused some delays to the process.

The report said: "We acknowledge that despite significant delivery against many of our actions, culture change is not yet embedded at all levels of our organisation.

"Our next phase of activity needs all our colleagues and managers to play their part in the transformation at a local level, with our support."

Patient safety

The health board also praised the work of the panel, and thanked employees for coming forward to talk about their experiences.

A group of Highlands GPs first complained of a culture of bullying at NHS Highland in September 2018.

An independent review by lawyer John Sturrock QC the following year found there were potentially hundreds of people who had experienced bullying at the health board.

The Sturrock review was contacted by 340 people from most departments, services and occupations at NHS Highland. More than 280 took part in face-to-face meetings or made written submissions, 66% reported bullying experiences.

Staff said they had not felt valued, respected or supported in carrying out stressful work. Others told of not being listened to when raising matters of patient safety.

The review also said that many described a culture of fear and of protecting the organisation.

Former health secretary Jeane Freeman apologised at the time and said other health boards should learn lessons.