NHS Lothian bosses apologise to staff for 'toxic' environment in maternity ward

Bosses at an NHS board have apologised to staff after concerns were raised in a whistleblowing report about patient safety and culture within women’s services.

In December, STV News reported that mothers and babies were being put at risk due to staff shortages.

One midwife revealed there had been high levels of burnout, absences and people leaving and blamed management for not listening to concerns.

An investigation launched earlier in 2024 found there were staffing shortages and a toxic relationship between managers and midwives.

Tom Power, NHS Lothian’s director of people and culture, has since apologised after the whistle-blowing review indicated relationships with leaders were often strained, causing problems with general work wellbeing, stress and even bullying.

“I apologise to those who have been let down at work and reassure them that we are determined to support them better to do the job they love,” he said.

“During the focus sessions, many of our staff talked about their role in women’s services as being a “calling”, such is their level of dedication to providing care for women and babies.

“I would like to reassure women and their families, as the report make clear, that they and their babies will receive high-quality care from our committed and professional staff.”

In August 2024, following the whistle blower report, an overall improvement plan was implemented by the health board.

NHS Lothian has also commissioned a report to provide a “clear insight” about staff views on workplace culture and its impact.

Mr Power added: “Our improvement plan prioritised patient safety and care to give us assurance that we were providing safe care to women and babies.

“Now, in this latest round of work, we are focussing on our teams and our leadership to make sure staff feel supported at work, safe to raise concerns and able to thrive.

“We commissioned this independent research because we wanted to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to get a truly comprehensive picture of the experience of our teams in Women’s Services.”

The health board is awaiting the outcome of a Significant Adverse Event review following the rare incidence of maternal death.

NHS Lothian has committed to address any recommendations from the investigation.