Senior medics working in a hospital trust at the centre of one of the biggest patient safety inquiries in recent NHS history have made fresh claims of a “toxic culture” which could be putting patients at risk.
ITV News has spoken to three whistleblowers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge – who all allege failures by management, who they say are not acting on concerns raised by staff.
In a year-long investigation, ITV News has gathered extensive testimony from senior clinicians who say that the trust is only concerned with its public image, and is not acting on genuine concerns.
The whistleblowers – who have all worked at the trust – made their claims as the hospital battles to contain the fallout from the investigation into orthopaedic surgeon Kuldeep Stohr.
A male clinician told ITV News: “When you raise a concern, you open yourself up to all kinds of backstabbing and undermining within the hospital. That then can become a review into your practice and disciplinary investigations.
“You just end up seeing out your time, you know, keeping your head down and keeping out of everyone’s way.”
Credit: PA
He said he raised a concern – and instead of feeling listened to, he felt the managers home in on his practice.
Dr Sue Broster, chief medical officer at Cambridge University Hospitals, said: “We are deeply sorry to our patients and families for the harm and substandard care identified as part of the external clinical review into the practice of Ms Kuldeep Stohr until March 2024.
“While we continue to deliver these meaningful changes, we have a number of well-established routes for staff and patients to raise any concerns. I would urge anyone with a specific concern to use them so they can be acted upon without delay.”
But in a survey of all 1,221 of its consultants and specialist doctors, around three-quarters of the 233 respondents reported fears about either speaking up, the repercussions of doing so, or doubts their warnings would lead to action.
In that report, one clinician said: “I have seen colleagues whose professional lives have been destroyed by CUH for speaking up because it was easier to silence that person than address the actual issue.”
Another said: “I have no difficulty speaking up but have given up because nothing changes”.
However, another said: “I feel our clinical leadership is very good. There is a clear process which is transparent, and there is a lot of understanding of the importance of our concerns, and genuine attempts at trying to resolve issues.”
The trust also said many of its doctors highlighted areas where there was a strong team culture and excellent leadership.
The hospital is currently at the centre of one of the biggest investigations into poor care in NHS history.
That probe into the care of Ms Stohr has found that Addenbrooke’s missed 32 opportunities to intervene – and concerns about her practice were first raised nearly a decade before she stopped practising in 2024.
Then, in September this year, a leaked report showed that more than 200 patients were harmed under her care.
In an update to its board of directors, erroneously published on its website, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust revealed 93% of cases – 924 – had now been reviewed and 889 patients had been told the results.
It added that 209 patients “have been found to have experienced harm”.
The report continued: “Of these, the majority (139) received an elective procedure when they were children. Forty-seven cases of harm… have been rated as severe.”
Credit: ITV News Anglia
The latest revelations have sparked questions about how the culture at the hospital allowed Ms Stohr to practice for so long after concerns were raised, and whether any concerns raised after are being taken seriously.
The second whistleblower to speak to ITV News, a female clinician, said those who speak up risked being sidelined – and described a workplace culture in critical condition.
She said whether concerns were taken seriously could depend on whether the management saw you as a friend or a foe.
“It leads to a very toxic, dysfunctional culture,” she said. “The overriding concern from anybody that wants to speak out is what will this mean for me?
“There is this fear that small things will be made big things because you’ve brought a much larger concern to the attention of someone senior.”
Natasha Egan urged clinicians to speak up and “say the scary thing”. Credit: ITV News Anglia
Natasha Egan said her daughter Neave’s condition deteriorated following two unsuccessful surgeries under Ms Stohr in 2018, leaving her unable to walk.
She said: “It breaks my heart because what I see is a little girl that has lost her ability to be inclusive within her family to the degree she could have been.
“I had a friend in Addenbrooke’s, same day, same time, and I see her daughter, this lovely 19-year-old girl living her life, riding horses, going to university, going on dates and that’s not the life Neave has. Neave has a life in a wheelchair.”
She claims the new revelations from ITV News highlighted problems right at the centre of the trust.
“Sometimes you have to be brave and you have to speak your truth: say the scary thing that people don’t want to hear because it’s the right thing to do – and it seems as if the right thing to do is the last thing on the list,” she said.
“It’s all about maintaining their jobs and not thinking about the impact on families.”
There is currently no evidence that Ms Stohr’s care fell below expected standards in Naeve’s case – but the surgeon has said she is cooperating with the investigation and always strives to give her patients the best care.
In a statement, Dr Broster said the hospital was taking action.
“We are making comprehensive changes to ensure something like this cannot happen again, and to respond to feedback we have had from our staff about raising concerns,” she said.
“This includes better support for staff who speak up, clearer responsibility for taking actions, the timely use of independent experts to investigate concerns and ensuring our regulators have oversight of both the findings of these investigations and the actions we are taking.
“As part of this work to improve, earlier this year we asked doctors about their experience of speaking up and published the findings in full to ensure we were completely open and transparent about the improvements we need to make.
“As well as identifying things that need to change, many of the doctors also highlighted areas where there is a strong team culture and excellent leadership, and where patient safety concerns can be raised openly and addressed without hesitation.
“We will build on these areas of best practice and keep improving to ensure this is consistently the standard across our hospitals.”