Ysbyty Gwynedd: Bullying claims from nurses prompt review

Nurses at Ysbyty Gwynedd have complained about working conditions

A review into the treatment of nurses at a Welsh hospital is underway after claims of bullying and burnout.

Nurses at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor reported "unreasonably long working hours" and increased pressure to move from specialist areas to other wards.

Rhun ap Iowerth MS said some nurses told him they had left the profession.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB)'s chief executive said it had launched an immediate review into the claims.

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One nurse, who did not want to be named, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Burnout is at an all time high at the site amongst nurses and other healthcare workers, and staff morale has never been so low.

"Many have chosen to leave their posts. We already work long hours and then feel pressured to take on more shifts - often redeployed to areas where we do not specialise - to help with staffing shortages.

"The situation has been escalating for years and has now reached a crisis stage with no solution."

'Hugely worrying'

Mr ap Iowerth, member of the Senedd for Ynys Mon and Plaid Cymru's health spokesman, has written to BCUHB's chief executive calling for an independent probe into working conditions at the hospital.

He said: "I was deeply saddened to learn about the very serious concerns of our nurses.

"Initially one nurse gathered together evidence from her colleagues and passed them to me anonymously, they were so fearful of repercussions."

"What's hugely worrying is the impact that the current working conditions are having on staff numbers and morale.

"Some have concluded that they want to leave their posts, many have already left.

"At a time when we face staff shortages following the pandemic, we need to be looking at new ways of attracting new nurses to the profession and increasing training places."

Several staff have left Ysbyty Gwynedd, Rhun ap Iowerth says

BCUHB chief executive Jo Whitehead said: "We are committed to ensuring that all staff feel safe to raise concerns in a way that enables us to improve as an organisation and as an employer.

"It is clear that not all staff feel that it is safe to speak out. It is important to us that we continue to improve the confidence of colleagues that their concerns will be addressed in a constructive way."

She added that a new process for raising issues anonymously had been introduced.