Doctors and HSE sign charter to help tackle bullying

Doctors and the Health Service Executive have signed up to a new charter to help tackle bullying of young doctors.

The Irish Medical Organisation said that the Respect Charter, signed by the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies and the HSE, was a milestone on the road to dealing with the issue.

Thirty-six per cent of trainee doctors reported nurses and midwives as a source of bullying, according to research by the Medical Council in 2015. More than half had witnessed someone being bullied at work.

The research also found that trainees who were bullied were more likely to say they were leaving medical practice in Ireland. Seven out of 10 trainees who experienced bullying did not report it to someone in authority.

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The Medical Council’s survey for 2016 has been completed but not yet published.

Speaking at the announcement of the charter, in Dublin on Thursday, the president of the IMO, Dr John Duddy, said the organisation was delighted that the postgraduate training forum and the HSE had committed to working with it and other stakeholders to address "a serious issue for the profession".

“Being subjected to unacceptable behaviour can lead to problems such as stress, anxiety and erosion of self-esteem. We must ensure that our trainees work in a respectful and safe environment that allows them to achieve their full potential as doctors,” he said.

There are inherent stresses in training to be a doctor, but unacceptable behaviour need not be one of them

“This Respect Charter clearly demonstrates that we all recognise there is a problem and, working together, we are determined to change the culture and improve the experience of our trainees. There are inherent pressures and stresses in training to be a doctor, but unacceptable behaviour need not be one of them.”

The three parties have agreed to work with statutory bodies, training bodies and other relevant organisations to “build and foster relationships of trust, confidence and co-operation through education, professionalism, leadership and mentoring”.

They will also focus on creating an environment that “builds and consolidates professionalism”. This will include fostering respect and good behaviour, challenging bad behaviour and “cherishing resilience through appropriate codes of conduct, policies and procedures to address bullying and harassment”.

The bodies have also committed to participating in a working group to identify the type of bullying and harassment experienced by doctors, identify effective strategies to address poor behaviour, and reduce barriers to reporting.

Dr Duddy committed on taking office to address the issues facing doctors working in today’s health service, including the “unspoken problems” of bullying and sexual harassment.