A tribunal has been told that staff at the north-east’s flagship hospital are being bullied out of their jobs.
Top cancer doctor Malcolm Loudon said nurses at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were “terrified” to stand up to surgeons.
And he claimed the bullying culture at the hospital had become so bad one of his former colleagues considered ending his own life.
Mr Loudon was giving evidence at a tribunal at which theatre nurse Anne Croft is suing the health board for loss of earnings.
She claims she was forced to quit her job at the hospital when her repeated concerns about cleanliness in operating theatres resulted in clashes with surgeons.
But during cross-examination Mr Loudon was accused of making “condescending” statements because he was bitter about the way he had been treated while working at the hospital.
The tribunal heard that four of the health board’s top consultants had written a letter of complaint about Mrs Croft, claiming that she used “excessive scrutiny” when checking the suitability of operating tools.
The nurse, who has almost 40 years’ experience, said she was concerned about “contaminated” surgical trays which she believed had residual bone, blood and fluff on them.
Over the course of 18 months she submitted a series of “datix” forms highlighting her fears.
But the surgeons blamed her “scrupulous” nature for delaying operations and wrote to her managers claiming she would not be welcomed back into their theatres.
Mrs Croft was eventually signed off with work-related stress and now claims she was forced to hand in her notice after her concerns were “trivialised” and she lost trust in her employers.
Mr Loudon, who now works for NHS Highland, told the tribunal Mrs Croft was right to resign and that once she was subjected to the bullying culture within ARI it would have been impossible for her to continue.
He said pressure on junior members of staff was so great that nurses no longer felt able to act as “patients’ advocates” and would bow to pressure from those higher up the chain.
The tribunal was told that because of the bullying, a large number of employees were choosing to leave the health board, resulting in serious staff shortages across theatres and emergency departments.
Mr Loudon said “never events” had taken place.
These are avoidable incidents that have the potential to cause serious harm and death.
Mr Loudon said that one patient had the wrong kidney removed and one patient died after the wrong side of his brain operated on.
He added nurses were “terrified” to air concerns and missing case notes and dirty surgical implements were becoming regular occurrences.
He said: “These ‘never events’ happen hundreds of times across the health system every year.
“At the most extreme people have the wrong kidney removed. That has happened in Aberdeen. People have the wrong side of their brain operated on, and that has happened in Aberdeen.
“Some of the nurses are genuinely terrified to express their concerns.
“There is a culture in that organisation where nurses are discouraged from effectively raising their concerns. One team manager ended up leaving his job and he was literally on the brink of suicide.”
Mr Loudon quit his job with the health board last year after he was referred to the General Medical Council while he was serving in Afghanistan.
Yesterday, he was cleared of misconduct by the General Medical Council.
He has previously raised concerns with the Scottish Government about the running of the health services in the north-east and has made no secret of his feelings towards his former employers.
During cross examination yesterday it was put to Mr Loudon that he was only making these “condescending” statements as he was bitter about the way he had been treated while working at the hospital.
It was put to him that NHS Grampian worked hard to “support” its staff, not to bully them.
Mr Loudon disagreed and said he was commenting on his experience.
Giving evidence, Mrs Croft, who now lives in Carnoustie, said that despite “never events” happening in her theatre patients were still being brought to surgery without their point of incisions marked out.
The tribunal continues.