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.<\/p>\n
ITV News has spoken to three whistleblowers at Addenbrooke\u2019s Hospital in Cambridge – who all allege failures by management, who they say are not acting on concerns raised by staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A male clinician told ITV News: \u201cWhen 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just end up seeing out your time, you know, keeping your head down and keeping out of everyone’s way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Credit: PA<\/p>\n
He said he raised a concern – and instead of feeling listened to, he felt the managers home in on his practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile 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.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
But in a survey of all 1,221 of its consultants and specialist doctors, around three-quarters of the 233 respondents reported fears<\/a> about either speaking up, the repercussions of doing so, or doubts their warnings would lead to action.<\/p>\n In that report, one clinician said:\u00a0 \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Another said: \u201cI have no difficulty speaking up but have given up because nothing changes\u201d.<\/p>\n However, another said: \u201cI 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The trust also said many of its doctors highlighted areas where there was a strong team culture and excellent leadership.\u00a0<\/p>\n The hospital is currently at the centre of one of the biggest investigations into poor care in NHS history.\u00a0<\/p>\n That probe into the care of Ms Stohr has found that Addenbrooke’s missed 32 opportunities to intervene<\/a> – and concerns about her practice were first raised nearly a decade before she stopped practising in 2024.<\/p>\n