MPs demand answers over ‘bullying culture’ at failing hospitals trust

CONCERNS: Hull Royal Infirmary

By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor

Hull’s three MPs have voiced serious concerns over claims of a “bullying culture” at the region’s crisis-hit hospitals trust.

Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (HUTH) has slumped to the bottom of NHS England’s national performance league table, which rates trusts against criteria including patient safety, access to services and finances.

HUTH, which manages Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, has fallen four places since December and is now ranked 134th out of 134 trusts nationally.

The table is part of NHS England’s Oversight Framework (NOF). Under the framework, trusts are graded from a ‘segment rating’ of 1, which is judged to be “high performance”, to 5, which is classed as “significant concerns”.

HUTH had been segment 4 but has been informed it is being reclassified as segment 5, the equivalent of “special measures”.

The failings come despite interim CEO Lyn Simpson, who joined in July 2025, bringing in a six-strong ‘improvement team’ of senior managers.

The city’s three Labour MPs are calling for urgent action to address the “unacceptable situation” and have expressed their worry over the bullying allegations.

In a joint statement released to The Hull Story, Hull North and Cottingham MP Diana Johnson, Hull West and Haltemprice MP Emma Hardy and Hull East MP Karl Turner said: “Hull MPs are extremely concerned that Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is failing to provide acceptable standards of care to our constituents and is now rated the worst out of 134 acute NHS trusts in England.

“We know that the local NHS workforce has faced severe pressures and challenges in recent years, but these factors are not unique to our area. It would seem from our discussions with trade union members that frontline NHS workers are working flat out, but that turmoil and instability in the trust’s senior management have contributed to poor performance.

“We are also very concerned to hear complaints of a bullying culture. 

“With increased Government investment in the NHS achieving improvements in health services around the country, including in key areas such as reducing waiting times, our NHS services around Hull should be on the up at the moment. They certainly should not be failing in basic areas like patient safety.

“Hull MPs are also in contact with the trust’s chief executive and health ministers to explore how and why this has happened, and what the plan is to turn this unacceptable situation around.

“We note that an ‘improvement team’ is in place and we look forward to seeing immediate improvements.”

HUTH is part of the wider NHS Humber Health Partnership (HHP) group, which includes Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLaG).

INTERVIEW REQUEST: Lyn Simpson

In response to the MPs’ statement, a spokesperson for HHP said: “The challenges facing our hospitals are not new. Hull University Teaching Hospitals and Northern Lincolnshire and Goole have been under sustained pressure for a long time and staff have been consistently raising these issues through the NHS Staff Survey over several years.

“That includes concerns about culture and how it feels to work in the organisation. We recognise that, we take it seriously and while this year’s staff survey shows early signs of improvement, we know there is still a long way to go.

“Since last summer, we have taken a deliberate decision to be fully open about the scale of these challenges, not to manage around them, but to face them honestly. Our clinically led improvement plan reflects what frontline teams have been saying for some time and is grounded in a simple principle – patient safety comes first.

 “We have strengthened the voice of our experienced clinicians in decision-making, ensuring those delivering care are shaping how services are run and how resources are used.

 “We also recognise that organisational complexity and reduced site-based leadership since the hospital group’s creation in 2024 have contributed to the position we are in.

“We are addressing this directly by strengthening leadership on site, simplifying structures and clarifying accountability.

 “This year is about improving patient safety, supporting our workforce and creating the conditions for sustainable services.

“NHS England’s current assessment reflects the reality our teams have been working in for some time and brings the right level of support and scrutiny.

“We have been honest about where we are. That honesty is the starting point for rebuilding stability, confidence and safer care for our patients.”

Despite the claims of being “fully open” and addressing the issues “honestly”, the partnership has failed to respond to numerous requests from The Hull Story to interview Ms Simpson.