Bullying Was Rife in NHS Highland
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this week BACTERIOPHAGES page 213 • SCREENING page 214 • CRISIS IN A&E page 216 GETTY IAMGES Bullying was rife in NHS Highland Leaders of Scotland’s health service are to feeling “sidelined, criticised, victimised, Scottish health secretary be brought together to look at how working undermined, and ostracised for raising Jeane Freeman said the relationships can be improved after a series matters of concern,” while managers were Sturrock report contained lessons for the whole NHS of reports on bullying and harassment. seen as autocratic and defensive. The move follows an independent The board’s failure to act prompted a inquiry into complaints raised at NHS group of clinicians to raise their concerns Highland, where doctors alleged “a culture in a letter to the Herald, leading to the of fear and intimidation” had existed for review being commissioned. NHS Highland the past decade. The report, compiled by chairman David Alston and its medical John Sturrock QC, said that while it was director Rod Harvey left the board in not possible to conclude a bullying culture February, and its chief executive Elaine existed, “it seems possible that many Meade retired at the end of last year. hundreds have experienced behaviour that The inquiry calls for people centred is inappropriate. That seems far too many.” leadership, early action to resolve problems, The inquiry’s findings were supported by more use of mediation, better training, and health secretary Jeane Freeman. She said an effective whistleblowing system. NHS LATEST ONLINE the report contained lessons for the whole Highland is preparing an action plan to Most hospital doctors of the NHS and a summer summit will be implement the changes, said the new chief experienced staff held involving managers, trade unions, executive, Iain Stewart. A statement from shortages last winter, and the royal colleges to discuss the best the whistleblowers said, “We look forward says RCP way to achieve an open and honest working to a time of healing but we need to be Dozens of US states environment. She also announced that by confident this won’t happen again.” sue 20 generic the end of the year every health board will NHS Ayrshire and Arran is the latest drug makers over appoint a whistleblowing champion. Scottish board to face bullying allegations, “industry-wide The inquiry heard from 340 people, of with 85 radiology staff raising a collective conspiracy” to drive whom 66% reported bullying. The report grievance. A BMA Scotland survey last year up prices says that “in many instances these were showed that nearly four in 10 doctors said Around one in seven significant, harmful, and multi-layered at bullying was a problem in their workplace. of the world’s babies all staff levels, in many geographic areas Bryan Christie, Edinburgh has low birth weight and disciplines.” Staff complained of Cite this as: BMJ 2019;365:l2166 the bmj | 18 May 2019 211 SEVEN DAYS IN GPs in England’s deprived areas face most severe pressure, analysis shows General practices in deprived areas of England are being disproportionately affected by “a mounting cycle of pressures” driven by workforce shortages and higher patient volumes, the Health Foundation has found. A separate analysis by the Nuffield Trust for the BBC showed that the number of GPs for each 100 000 people in the UK fell from nearly 65 in 2014 to 60 in 2018, the biggest consecutive fall since the 1960s. The Health Foundation’s analysis estimated that the number of patients for each qualified permanent GP in England had risen by 8% in the past three years, up from 2000 to 2160, owing to a fall in full time equivalent (FTE) GPs and population growth. In the most deprived 10% of areas patient numbers per GP were 15% higher than in the least deprived 10%. The foundation also highlighted that this higher practice workload was exacerbated by patients in the most deprived areas experiencing worse health. Ben Gershlick, the foundation’s senior economist, said, “To make good on the commitment in the NHS long term plan to reducing health inequalities, a set of coherent actions are needed, focused on encouraging recruitment to areas of high deprivation.” Gareth Iacobucci, The BMJ Cite this as: BMJ 2019;365:l2104 Homelessness adjustments to support students on the UK government and the Research integrity Local authorities can bid and trainees through medical devolved administrations to give Coke contracts could for homeless funding school, clinical placements, and parents universal education on “quash” bad findings Public Health England opened work settings. nutrition to help tackle childhood applications for local authorities obesity. It said that education on to bid for a share of £1.9m Multiple sclerosis healthy diets for children and the to support homeless people Roche deal could lead to importance of exercise should be in moving off the streets and NICE approval available at antenatal classes and accessing healthcare. Successful NHS England struck a deal with at nursery through to secondary projects will focus on improving the manufacturer Roche to school. Children who start school access to health services and give eligible patients with obese are more likely to be obese Coca-Cola may be able to continuity of care for people multiple sclerosis access in adulthood. The obesity rate suppress unfavourable findings with mental ill health and to the drug ocrelizumab in adults is 29% in England and from the health research it funds substance misuse problems (Ocrevus, left) at a reduced Scotland and 27% in Northern at public universities in the US who are sleeping rough or at risk price. The drug, which is Ireland. and Canada, a study published in of it. The government’s Rough given as an infusion every six the Journal of Public Health Policy Sleeping Strategy, announced months, costs around £19 000 Rural prevalence rises found. Researchers studied more last August, set a goal of halving per patient a year at full price. more rapidly than 87 000 papers and found rough sleeping by 2022. It is suitable for people with Global strategies to combat clauses that allow the drinks primary progressive MS and has rising obesity may need to be giant to end research without Workforce been shown to help them stay reconsidered, said researchers, reason and keep the data. Disabled doctors and active for longer. The deal after they found that from 1985 students get new support means that ocrelizumab can to 2017 the average body mass COPD The GMC advised medical be considered for approval index in rural areas worldwide Spirometry does not occur schools and training providers by NICE, as it now meets increased by 2.1 in women in 60% of admissions on steps to ensure that all its threshold for cost and men. In cities it increased A spirometry test is essential to students and trainee doctors effectiveness. An by 1.3 in women and 1.6 in confirm a diagnosis of chronic can fulfil their potential, estimated 2700 men. The authors wrote in obstructive pulmonary disorder, including those with disabilities. patients could be Nature, “As economic growth but a large clinical audit showed These steps, outlined in the eligible. and rural nutrition programmes it was not recorded in 60% of GMC’s Welcomed and Valued reduce rural caloric deficiency, patients admitted to hospital with guidance, include allocating Obesity the rural undernutrition an acute COPD exacerbation. The specific contacts, agreeing Dietary advice disadvantage may be Royal College of Physicians’ audit confidentiality arrangements, is urged for replaced with a more covered 75 000 admissions to 179 and creating action plans to parents general and complex hospitals in England and Wales. It meet the demands of courses The Royal College malnutrition that entails found better care of COPD patients or training. It also includes of Physicians of excessive consumption than in 2018 but noted significant advice on making reasonable Edinburgh called of low quality calories.” areas for improvement. 212 18 May 2019 | the bmj SIXTY SECONDS MEDICINE ON . Glyphosate BACTERIOPHAGES Monsanto must pay couple A NEW WEAPON AGAINST RESISTANCE? $2bn over cancer claims The potential for bacteriophages—viruses A jury in California ordered that target and kill specific bacteria—as a way Monsanto to pay more than to defeat antibiotic resistant infections took $2bn (£1.54bn) to a couple a leap forward last week when researchers who developed non-Hodgkin’s reported significant recovery in the first lymphoma after using the patient to be treated with phages. weedkiller Roundup (right), BACK TO THE PAST? which contains glyphosate— You could say so. Phages were explored more identified as a probable human than a century ago but lost out to antibiotics. carcinogen by the World Health The resurgence is due to the rise in antibiotic Organization’s International resistant bacteria. Over the past two years Agency for Research on Cancer. in South East Asia from 3.5 L to phages have treated a multidrug resistant The victory for Alva and Alberta 4.7 L, in the US from 9.3 L to 9.8 L, DEFICITS Acinetobacter baumannii infection and a Pilliod is the third verdict against and in China from 7.1 L to 7.4 L. NHS hospital trusts Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Monsanto, which is now owned A LAST RESORT by Bayer. The companies said that Regulation are forecasting In the latest skirmish, teenager Isabelle they would appeal the verdict FDA ends report system a combined Carnell-Holdaway (below) was deteriorating that hid device failures overspend of with a Mycobacterium abscessus infection Public health The US Food and Drug after a lung transplantation. Her Great Philadelphia’s sugar tax Administration announced it will £1.2bn Ormond Street Hospital team tried many may boost sales elsewhere end the “alternative summary in 2018-19.