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AN independent review has identified widespread concerns about bullying, harassment and discrimination within the general surgery department at an East Sussex hospital trust.
The review was commissioned in January 2026 after staff raised concerns about the department’s culture, behaviour and the actions of specific clinicians. East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT) runs Eastbourne District General Hospital and Conquest Hospital in St Leonards.
A summary of the review, seen by the BBC, found that a “significant proportion” of staff reported experiencing bullying, harassment or discrimination during the previous 12 months.
Women, non-consultant medical staff and staff from ethnic minority backgrounds were among those found to have experienced the greatest harm.
Staff members who spoke anonymously to the BBC described “shouting and abuse of black and Asian consultants” during meetings.
The BBC was also told that evidence repeatedly presented to the trust over several months had “resulted in no action”.
Some staff alleged that trainees had been manipulated or coerced into reporting and making complaints about colleagues from ethnic minority backgrounds.
One member of staff said there had been a “loss of faith in the trust to deal with the issues which is compromising patient care”.
Although the full review has not been published, its summary states that harmful behaviour had become normalised within the general surgery department. It identified “concerning levels” of bullying, harassment, discrimination and microaggressions, according to the BBC.
The review is said to have found that staff members’ psychological safety had been significantly compromised, particularly among those with less formal authority.
Some staff said they felt undermined and faced barriers to training opportunities. Concerns were also raised that fear of repercussions had influenced clinical decision-making.
Staff wellbeing was described in the review as the “strongest indicator of organisational concern”.
Employees reported “chronic exhaustion, emotional depletion, sustained psychological strain and negative impacts on sleep, relationships and motivation”.
The report directly linked poor staff wellbeing to leadership behaviour, concerns about psychological safety and the normalisation of harmful conduct.
Former employees were also interviewed as part of the review. They described the departmental culture as “unsustainable”, with many linking their decision to leave directly to the working environment rather than their personal circumstances.
Some former staff described leadership within the department as not only ineffective, but “actively unsafe”.
Dr Simon Merritt, chief medical officer at ESHT, said: “Bullying, harassment, racism and sexism have no place in our trust.”
He added that the trust had “taken clear action in response to the findings”.
