Bad behaviour in hospitals impacts on patient safety

Bad behaviour in hospitals impacts on patient safety

The Medical Council strongly supports the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Expert Advisory Group position that every patient has a right to expect their health care is uncompromised by discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment in the practice of surgery.

Mr Andrew Connolly, chairman of the Council, said today that there should be zero tolerance of any discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment by surgeons or any other health practitioners.

‘The culture that has accepted discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment in surgery, but also elsewhere in a hospital or other workplace has to change.’

Mr Connolly says that the Council is working with other stakeholders to shift attitudes that have been ignored or have simply accepted that bad behaviour is the norm.

‘Every health practitioner, for example students, interns, trainees, consultants, nurses and so on need to know that bad behaviour whether in theatre, the recovery room, clinic, the office or the ward, is totally unacceptable.

‘We need to create a safe work environment that values and nurtures people and gives them the confidence to speak out about unsafe work practices, without further intimidation or harassment.

‘It is no longer OK to be silent about bad behaviour because someone has a position of power or authority’.

‘Everyone has a responsibility to speak out on things that we know are wrong. We also all have a responsibility to support those being victimised’.

Mr Connolly says the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has been bold in addressing the issues raised.

‘There is a recognition that the issues brought up in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' Expert Advisory Group are happening in workplaces in New Zealand.’

‘There are a number of organisations, including the Medical Council, working collectively to address the issue of bad behaviour and change the culture of hospital workplaces’.

These organisations include the New Zealand Resident Doctors’ Association, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, the Council of Medical Colleges, the Ministry of Health, district health board chief medical officers and district health board human resource groups.

‘Everyone involved in clinical practice has a role to play in leading the way’.

‘Now we know for a fact how widespread and endemic bad behaviour is, there is no closing our minds to this problem.’

‘We all have to be part of the solution of making every workplace safe for the benefit of all health practitioners and patients alike,’ said Mr Connolly.

ENDS

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