Responding to the publication today of the 2018 NHS Staff Survey, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), stated:
The results of today’s 2018 NHS Staff Survey highlight the continued rise in bullying and harassment in the NHS. Increasing numbers of staff reported being bullied and harassed by their managers (12.8% in 2017 but 13.2% by 2018) and by their colleagues (up from 18% in 2017 to 19.1% in 2018).
The RCSEd said that the increase in incidence could reflect the success of schemes to raise awareness that mean staff are now more likely to raise concerns.
Alice Hartley, Chair of the RCSEd campaign to tackle undermining and bullying in surgery #LetsRemoveIt, said:
"However, a considered, collaborative approach is required from stakeholders across the NHS to address the issue. More needs to be done to ensure that individuals not only feel able to report instances of bullying and harassment, but also that they and their teams are equipped to address issues at work."
She said that the RCSEd is committed to tackling bullying and undermining in the surgical environment and across the NHS:
“We are proud to be working with organisations across the NHS to raise awareness of this issue and provide individuals with resources to empower individuals to tackle this issue.”
The RCSEd is working collaboratively with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to host a Bullying and Undermining meeting at RCOG’s London office on 4 April 2019 where delegates can hear about strategies to tackle problem behaviour.