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NHS specialist 'was bullied for exposing poor care at hospital'
Peter Dominiczak9 Sep 2009
A cancer consultant who blamed cost-cutting for reducing standards of patient care at his hospital told a tribunal today how he was bullied by bosses for raising his concerns.
Ramon Niekrash, 50, sent a series of letters to senior management at Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust in Woolwich.
Executives at the trust said the Australian-trained urologist's letter-writing was "possibly vexatious" and suspended him for 10 weeks.
In a subsequent inquiry into practices at the hospital, former clinical surgical director Dr Sharon Power said she would like to see him "in chains on a plane back to Australia" but admitted bosses "didn't have a clue" how stretched front-line staff were, the tribunal in Croydon heard.
Mr Niekrash began writing letters, most of which went unanswered, in 2005 when the urology ward was shut down to save money. He warned senior doctors were seeing too many patients, were unable to carry out enough specialist care, and ward overcrowding could lead to an increase in infections.
Mr Niekrash, who is seeking compensation, told the hearing today: "I made reference to a patient who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2007, but was not informed of the diagnosis nor given treatment until 17 March 2008."
He added: "I [vocalised] what many thought but could not say. My disclosures were clearly documented and well founded."
Urology patients were by then dotted around the hospital, meaning the time taken to complete a ward round quadrupled.
Staff who left were not replaced and Mr Niekrash was working as the head of urological cancer for no extra pay, the tribunal heard. Consultants had to deal with up to 72 patients in a day when the recommended maximum was 52.
Mr Niekrash continued: "As a result of my disclosures I was subjected to bullying, harassment and ultimately I was excluded in punitive action by the trust management."
He said he was subjected to a "biased" grievance investigation in order to remove him from the trust.
The hospital declared itself insolvent in 2006 after auditors said it was heading for a deficit of £100million by 2009.
This year it merged with two other hospitals to form the South London Healthcare NHS Trust.
The hearing continues.
Reader views (3)
The irony is that at one time the Labour Party stood for reforms in this country. Until New Labour, the party policy was to spearhead and encourage whistleblowing as an important means to social changes and improvements. Once in power however, the party 'spiteheads' of spin and malicious practices were allowed to take over and promptly gave way to the sort of sheer nastiness and morally bankrupt army of movers and shakers who practically ran Britain. Brown and Blair's running of a kind of 'Flashman' bullying regimes permeated down through some government departments and is now fairly embedded, as has been apparent in recent years. Vicious bullying and unprecedented revenge tactics is a legacy that New Labours two premiers will be long remembered for
- Mark, London, 10/09/2009 10:26
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Crash Gordon's Nu Labor is not working. Our NHS is in a fine mess and needs complete revamping.
- Georgie, Islington, London, 10/09/2009 09:39
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We have already commented on this in another column. A disgraceful situation. Dr Ramon Niekrash is obviously a dedicated doctor who was only trying to do his job properly with the best interests of the hospital and his patients at heart. A full explanation should be obtained from the hospital bosses and Dr Niekrash grievance should be properly dealt with.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Netherlands, 09/09/2009 16:47
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