A nurse at Liverpool Women's Hospital was forced to quit after enduring years of systematic marginalisation, bullying-type behaviours and personal privacy violations, according to claims submitted in an ongoing formal grievance. The nurse also alleges that a colleague accessed their private WhatsApp messages and shared the information among other staff members.
Allegations of toxic workplace culture
Over the last week, the Liverpool ECHO has reported allegations of bullying and a 'toxic' workplace culture across the University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, which manages five sites across the city, including Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and Liverpool Women's University Hospital.
On September 18, the ECHO reported on the suspension of six senior managers at UHLG, with some of those suspensions said to be related to allegations of bullying. None of the suspended senior managers held positions within the group's clinical staff.
Staff survey and union statements
Five days later, the ECHO published statements provided by Unite the Union and GMB Union, as well as the results of a staff survey, which accused UHLG of overseeing a 'bullying and toxic' workplace culture, exacerbated by 'excessive' workloads and resulting in low morale.
At the time, a spokesperson for UHLG said: "Where examples of bullying or other inappropriate behaviour are brought to our attention, action is taken." A day later, UHLG's executive team sent out an email to staff, referencing 'recent external attention' and reaffirming its commitment to building a workplace culture 'where everyone feels safe, valued and heard'.
Nurse's account of distress
In the last week, the ECHO has been contacted by a significant number of current and former UHLG staff, all describing negative experiences while working for the group. One of those people was a Liverpool Women's Hospital nurse, who spoke on condition of anonymity, and who wanted to raise awareness about working conditions at UHLG.
The nurse told the ECHO they felt "distress" due to their treatment at work and were subject to experiences which "shattered" their well-being, dignity and self-worth. The nurse said: "Sometimes it's not just one thing but a series of incidents which mount up. That's what happened to me. I felt increasingly sidelined, excluded and undermined to the point that I dreaded going to work, which is what makes me the most upset because I absolutely loved my job and loved working for the NHS."
Privacy breach and resignation
The nurse said they raised concerns through formal governance channels, but internal efforts to address the problems repeatedly stalled. The mounting strain prompted them to seek help from the group's Staff Support Service, where occupational health records confirmed they had recounted severe work-related anxiety.
They told the ECHO that an annual leave request was ignored for five months, and issues culminated with an allegation that someone picked up their unlocked personal phone while it was charging, looked through private WhatsApp messages, and shared the contents with other staff. The Royal College of Nursing, which has been supporting the nurse, subsequently asked for the breach of privacy allegation to be added to a formal grievance raised by the nurse.
The nurse said: "After everything that had happened, the accessing of my WhatsApp messages was so humiliating and distressing, and was the last straw, really. It was so disrespectful and should never happen to anyone. I knew then that I couldn't go back and informed the hospital I was leaving my post and not returning."
Hospital response and RCN involvement
Responding to the claims, Chief Executive of The Royal Liverpool and Liverpool Women's University Hospitals, Leanne Cooper said: "We take all concerns raised by current and former members of staff seriously and have established processes in place to ensure they are considered appropriately. As this matter relates to an ongoing process which has not yet concluded, it would not be appropriate to comment at this time. We remain committed to ensuring concerns raised by staff are considered fairly and in line with our policies and procedures."
The ECHO also approached the Royal College of Nursing, which confirmed it was involved in the advocacy of the ongoing case. Regional Director for the RCN North West, Simon Browes said: "The RCN is concerned by allegations of bullying within the University Hospitals of Liverpool Group. We are actively engaging with the organisation to better understand the situation and to seek assurances that robust plans are in place to ensure every member of staff is treated with respect, dignity and fairness. While it would be inappropriate to comment on any individual case, we want to remind RCN members that support is available. Any member who feels affected by the issues highlighted in the media, or who is experiencing challenges in the workplace, should contact their workplace RCN representative or RCN Direct for advice and support."
