“I will fight for victims of bullying and harassment at the DGH” – County Councillor Roy Peché
EASTBOURNE Life has been speaking to Councillor Roy Peche after a review raised serious concerns about the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
He’s the town’s first Reform UK councillor and says, ‘I hate bullies – they are cowards – and I want to help victims here.’
EASTBOURNE’S first ever Reform UK Councillor has vowed to fight on behalf of staff who feel they are, or have been, the victim of bullying and harassment at the Eastbourne DGH.
Councillor Roy Peche – who represents Sovereign on East Sussex County Council – sits on the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
He was part of an official group who visited the DGH on Friday, and he has shared communication from the DGH Chief Executive Jayne Black.
This comes after a report highlighted serious concerns within the Trust.
Roy said: “Nobody should be bullied or feel harassed in the workplace. I will not let this matter lie, let me assure everyone.”
This is Jayne Black’s correspondence to Roy:
“I am writing to update you on the work East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is undertaking following the independent culture review of our General Surgery service.
As you no doubt know, the review identified serious concerns about aspects of workplace culture and behaviours within the department that this trust is determined to root out.
Having discussed the issues with the Board, I wanted to update you on the focus of our action plan. I have reiterated that this review occurred due to issues raised by staff and action was taken accordingly.
I have made it clear that there is no place for discrimination or bullying and harassment within the organisation and when found will be dealt with appropriately. Following the review, we have shared the outcomes from the report with the General Surgery Consultants and will continue to work with them .
Our comprehensive action plan is built around seven key themes:
- Strengthening leadership and accountability
- Improving culture, behaviours and psychological safety
- Strengthening governance and patient safety processes.
- Supporting staff and trainees
- Addressing equality, inclusion and workforce sustainability
- Improving teamwork and collaboration
- Establishing robust assurance arrangements to demonstrate sustained improvement over time
The purpose of this work is not simply to respond to the findings of a report. It is to create and sustain a safer, fairer and more supportive environment for our staff, which in turn supports the delivery of safe, high-quality care for our patients.
I provided an update on the General Surgery culture review and our response during the Trust Board’s public meeting. This included discussion of the key themes arising from the review, the actions already underway and the governance arrangements being put in place to oversee improvement.
The Board was clear in its expectation that change must be meaningful, sustained and evidenced over time. We have therefore committed to bringing further updates to the Board in public as implementation of the action plan progresses, ensuring ongoing transparency and accountability to patients, staff, local communities and elected representatives.
I recognise that some stakeholders may ask whether the Trust intends to publish the full report. Having considered this carefully, we do not intend to do so.
The review was commissioned on the basis that colleagues could provide information and personal testimony in confidence. The report contains information relating to identifiable individuals and sensitive personal data, including accounts of personal experiences and concerns raised by staff. Publication therefore raises significant information governance and data protection considerations under UK GDPR and data protection legislation.
In addition, a number of the matters identified within the review remain subject to ongoing processes and investigations. Releasing the report in full could compromise those processes, prejudice the fair consideration of matters under review, and discourage staff from speaking openly in future reviews or investigations. We believe it is essential that those processes are allowed to reach their conclusions fairly and without risk of interference.
However, we are committed to being transparent about both the issues identified and the actions being taken. We believe the appropriate balance is to protect the confidentiality owed to individuals while providing public accountability for improvement.
For that reason, we will continue to report publicly on the key themes arising from the review, the actions being implemented and the progress being achieved.
Updates on the General Surgery improvement programme will be brought back to future Trust Board meetings held in public so that Board members, local stakeholders, elected representatives and the wider community can see the changes being made and the impact they are having. This work will remain subject to ongoing Board oversight and scrutiny.
We take the findings of the review seriously. We are grateful to those who had the courage to speak up, and we are determined to ensure that the necessary improvements are delivered and sustained. Our focus now is on supporting our staff, strengthening the culture within the department and ensuring that patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care.
In closing, I also want to recognise that the report describes a workforce that remains deeply committed to delivering care for patients under considerable pressure. Staff spoke of strong professional values, peer support and a genuine commitment to patient care. The review’s central finding was that this commitment was, in some cases, being sustained despite elements of the culture, rather than because of it. It is our commitment to change that culture for the better.”
