Tuesday 16 February 2010

NHS bullying

Proof, if proof were needed, of the moronic and bullying way in which the NHS is managed came last week during a Fatal Accident Inquiry, held in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. The Sheriff’s hearing was held to establish why an NHS records officer, working at Gordon Brown’s local hospital in Kirkaldy, took his own life following a botched disciplinary procedure carried out by his incompetent managers.

Brian Gilfillan was a conscientious records officer who often worked long hours, covered for his colleagues and was wedded to his work. His initiative kept his department running smoothly. And yet Brian made the mistake one day of forging his manager’s signature on a requisition order for more maternity forms. Presumably his manager, Anne Starkie, was away on a diversity course when Brian felt it necessary to scrawl her signature on an order for some forms which had run out.

Instead of praising Brian for his initiative, his vindictive petty minded boss decided to launch a disciplinary hearing. Brian was sent a template letter telling him that he was being charged with fraud and that he could lose his cherished job. No doubt drunk on power, three of his superiors appeared intent on hounding the 36-year-old. Mr Gilfillan, who lived with his parents, had earned a reputation for his astonishing commitment to his job. He was known to take work home and correct mistakes made by colleagues and was once reprimanded for working beyond his required hours.

Rather than face a kangaroo court held by a self-appointed tribunal of jobsworths, Brian chose to hang himself from a tree in the hospital grounds. The petty and spiteful action of his managers had, in the words of his parents, ‘ripped his heart out’.

NHS Fife expressed its condolences to the dead man’s family and friends, and said it would consider the sheriff’s findings in detail.

Words fail me.

61 comments:

  1. What a sad tale! Words fail me as well.
    How is your leg?
    Here the sun is shinig, it is Weird Tuesday, and we are having term break.
    Best wishes! Barbara (Styria)

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  2. I could list chapter and verse of bullying in the NHS vindictive revengeful power wielding bullying but its long complicated and still quite raw. And I wasn't the victim. I can empathise completely with Mr Gilfillan.

    It also works the other way too. Incompetent senior manages who fail to follow protocol and procedures allowing bad practice and those who perpetrate it to work unchecked unsupervised even in some instances 'let off' because procedure wasn't followed.

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  3. It isn't just the NHS that suffers from workplace bullying. I'm a pretty strong minded person but in my last job I suffered from a manager who made my life intolerable and I am in little doubt that it impacted on my health and made it possible for my condition to become life threatening. Unfortunately there will always be bullies in this world and its very hard to stop their antics.

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  4. How very very sad, that a man would rather take his own life than face up to incompetent management. I work in the NHS and I know that workplace bullying is rife, but its not just in the NHS, its in every company where there is a jobsworth. These people aren't managers, they're dictators.
    Words fail me too, my heart goes out to Brian's family and friends, I hope they sue the arse off the hospital!!

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  5. How desperately sad that it takes 3 half-witted superiors to bring down a man that patently didn’t need managing. But whatever the Sheriff’s hearing concludes, there will be 3 jobsworths all saying, “But I didn’t do anything wrong.” At least we will know where efficiencies can be made and they are sent into the real world to look for increasingly rare ‘new opportunities’ - to use that ironical phrase. No doubt they will be re-employed within the NHS and introduced as ‘highly-experienced and forward-looking’ managers to their new sub-ordinates, none of whom will be a patch on the late Brian Gilfillan. Requiescat in Pace.

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  6. er - that hospital looks familiar....

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  7. That's Kirkcaldy hospital. Do you know it?

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  8. Why this extremely competent employee did not have his own sign-off to order items such as forms beggars belief. I have been in positions where I had sign-off on items such stationery and couriers as the bosses had other things to do!
    NHS bureaucracy gone mad.

    Cora

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  9. Perhaps Brian's bosses only had the power to sign off silly little stationery forms and weren't ready to share that big job with anyone else. Too many cooks?

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  10. When I was posting here about the food I got in hospital I didn't mention the hospital I don't think. It was this one - the Victoria in Kirkcaldy.

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  11. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1251327/Your-hospital-survival-guide-The-ingenious-tricks-save-superbugs-hospital-disasters.html

    oh and check the bit about food here

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  12. I hope the poor man`s bosses never have a restfull and decent nights sleep again.
    Ness..

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  13. Are there any other nice, warm European countries that have a saner approach to health care? Like Malta, perchance.

    Bastards.

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  14. well i hope they are found guilty of bullying their names published, and sacked from jobs and are ordered by the court to have "dismissed from job for causing death by bullying" on their CV's

    *next comment unsuitable for publishing on the internet*

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  15. Its actually Forth Park Maternity Hospital, but it's effectively run from Victoria Hospital.

    Yes Paul, its run by bastards who are seemingly accountable to no one.

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  16. 5 other "Human Resource" morons should be named and shamed for this aswell as Anne Starkie they are Karen Laird, Donna Band, Andrea Wilson, Valerie Anderson and THE CHEIF MAN HIMSELF WHO COULD HAVE RESOLVED THIS IN A FEW MINUTES THE ONE AND ONLY GIVE HIM A CHEER FOLKS "MR WILSON".

    1 Slap on the wrist and Brian would still be be with us R.I.P BRIAN GILFILLAN WHAT A WASTE OF LIFE. LOVE YOUR MANY ADMIRING FRIENDS.

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  17. The internet is full of sad stories of bullying within the NHS. Can anything be done? It's election year. Isn't this bullying culture something which needs to be challenged, not only in the NHS but throughout our society?

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  18. Rest in peace Brian we will get justice for you, these bastards will pay if not today or tomorrow then some day and we will give them a good send off, and give the bitch from hell that is Anne Starkie a helping hand to leave the building may she rot in hell for what her and the rest of huma resources did to a fine and upstanding man who was everyones friend.

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  19. I am subject to bullying in the nhs, I have reported it many times and every time i am told to ignore the way i am getting treated, it has made me highly depressed, everyday i get closer and closer of walking out mid shift, but the only thing that is stopping me is i cant afford not to leave without another job to go to. there are no such thing as rights for being bullied in the department i work in. the senior supervisers who are suppose to deal wit things dont and i am even being mis-treated by one of the senior supervisers

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  20. Justice must be served to those people who caused this terrible outcome.

    Brian did not deserve to be punished for using his initiative.

    RIP Brian, im just sorry i never kept in touch

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  21. I have only just come across this story, and it appalls me. I do not work in the NHS, neither - thank God - have I been bullied at work, but I recognise the situation.

    When I was at school, the greatest offence you could committ was not to display "common sense" and this, I am afraid, was the problem here. Brian, the man who died, displayed common sense, it was his Managers who clearly have never heard of the term. What he did may have been, technically, wrong - but why was there no system in place whereby someone could sign on behalf of the absent manager? Why did Senior Management allow these middle - level "jobsworths" to make such a meal of the issue : just a simple "drop it" would have been enough.

    Dare I say the unsayable? The three Managers concerned were all female, the victim was a man. Could it be, I wonder, that they really wanted him out of their cosy "girlie zone" and this was an attempt at intimidation that went further than intended. I do not say that they desired his death - but I am damn sure they wanted him out of his job for the "crime" of being a bloke!

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  22. Knowing the Public Service the manager that caused this won't even be given a slap on the wrists :(

    It's a shame Brian felt he had no other option.

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  23. The manager in question Anne Starkie is to be given a new post within Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy and will be managing an even larger amount of staff. The management are aware of how unpopular this witch is with the staff (that's an understatement if ever there was) but are rubbing our noses in it. NHS Fife is overflowing in appalling managers from John Wilson down. Brian's memory lives on and he deserves better.

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  24. Bullying is rife in the NHS. The bullies, are themselves, cowards and pathetic and despicable, individuals. We all know what the effects of bullying are and can result in suicide of the bullied. However, how long will it be before a bullied worker says enough is enough, snaps and responds appropriately perhaps resulting in a serious assault on or even the death of the bully. Bullies might learn that their own behaviour has consequences and reform and the NHS might then decide that bullying of staff is no longer a legitimate management technique.

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  25. I think it is NHS HR Departments who create policies to deal with bullying and harassment. Frankly, these are not worth the paper they are written on and quite possibly just ensure that bullying and harassment is legitimised in the NHS. The other instrument of management in the NHS is Occupational Health. A shameful setup indeed as it can undermine staff, colluding with management as it may do, rather than supporting staff who may raise legitimate health related concerns. Both HR and OH are there to support management. There are some quite unremarkable people, who by some means have risen to a position of authority, alive and well and prospering in the NHS. Not a good place to work if you become a target.

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  26. Having had the misfortune to have had Mrs Starkie as my manager in the NHS I can honestly imagine her pursuing this to it's horrific conclusion. This should have been dealt with in house. To get the courts involves was a complete farce and nothing but vindictive.
    I honestly have sympathy for my former colleagues who still have to answer to Anne Starkie. She is not fit for the position she holds. She replaced a competent and respected manager who had more ability in her small finger than Starkie had in her whole body. Medical Records in the QMH and VHK is going to hell in a handcart. I'm glad I'm out of it.

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  27. Until 2012 I worked for NHS Health Scotland where bullying is used as a management technique. This bullying comes from the very top and from grossly incompetent management who lie repeatedly that bullying is not an issue. Staff survey results are covered up and many staff have left the organisation in despair that their concerns are denied and covered up. Ironically this organisation have just released a strategy "A fairer, healthier Scotland" what a joke. The Government are well aware that bullying is happening but do nothing. Personally I wrote to the Health Minister as well as other senior figures but they allowed this Board to cover up the worst practice I have ever seen (and I have worked for many organisations. The entire Board here are guilty and should be removed with the shame they deserve.

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  28. I also worked for Health Scotland until about 1 year ago and agree with the former comment that it is a place of dreadful bullying. Senior management are incompetent and very destructive. I think this comes from the leadership of the organisation, or lack of it. I wrote to the Chair and several others at the top but only got lies and denials. It is not hard to see that the bullying is driven from the top

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  29. I also left NHS Health Scotland because of unfair treatment and bullying I suffered. I was the Programme Delivery Manager for The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives (what a joke) and still recovering from the dreadful bullying I was subjected to by two senior managers. I was forced to leave NHS Health Scotland as they were making me go back to work with the people that bullied me who are still working there as they are protected by senior management.

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  30. I left NHS Health Scotland following some pretty diabolical treatment by senior management.

    Dealing with a mental health issue I was sent to Occupational Health. The management used this as an opportunity to say that I was unfit to do my job and the OH therapist commented on why she was being asked such irrelevant questions.

    It became clear what it was about when the OH report came back to the management and they began a performance management procedure. They did not discuss the OH letter and its recommendations and decided that the OH letter gave them the opportunity to tackle me about my work "performance". When the union stepped in and asked the management to explain why they weren't following procedure and identify what it was they were trying to achieve, they suddenly didn't know and had to go back to HR for help.

    My condition was made worse by the amount of stress I was under and by Christmas I was suicidal. I then got another job and promptly left NHS Health Scotland.

    However, I agree that this attitude is not just endemic to the NHS, it's a management style that is being adopted by organisations both nationally and internationally. I've just been on the receiving end of yet another organisation who have broken procedure at every opportunity which resulted in my sacking that the union are furious about and we intend to appeal.

    But, the problem is not whether people appeal or not, it's the way that management and HR believe that writing a few policies and guidelines makes them untouchable. They bend every single rule they can to get the outcomes they want and no amount of slogans on posters around the place you work in stating a belief believe in a workplace where dignity and respect are paramount will change what they really think.

    This is a serious problem and the more we don't tackle it, the worse it will get. I dread to think what the working life will be like for people in ten years time. We live in an age where mental health is a massive issue and is it any wonder why?

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  31. I also used to work for Health Scotland and to be fair there are some brilliant staff there. It is senior management that are the problem.They are incompetent, unqualified and yes some of them are outright bullies. Also the Board is full of overpaid private consultants with little knowledge of the NHS. I suspect they care little about the bullying here.

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  32. I also worked for Health Scotland and whilst I was not bullied I did witness bullying from very senior people. I agree the Board are responsible for this and do not ask questions as they are quite happy with their nice fat payments.
    The leadership is none existent in this organisation and they made excellent Organisation Development staff redundant. The real bully is the head of this organisation.

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  33. Sack the Chair then

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  34. She is a nasty vindictive bully and this is well known

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  35. Yes I agree Margaret Burns is a nasty, viscous vindictive bully and this is well known to the Government. She encourages the pathetic Chief Executive to bully staff and cover up for incompetent Senior management. I am taking voluntary redundancy to get out of Health Scotland

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    1. I am just about to leave NHS Health Scotland and I agree with most of these comments. The Chair and the CEO are both incompetent and have no idea about leadership. The organisation got rid of OD staff and have spent a fortune making good staff redundant. It is pretty obvious the organisation is going down the toilet anyway thanks to those 2

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  36. I think a lot of this is due to the so called Director of HR and planning.She has no HR training and is quite frankly a bully. I used to work for her and left after expressing concerns about her bullying behavior. She should be held to account for the number of staff from the equalities directorate that have left due to her bullying

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  37. I've also just left Health Scotland and don't recognise any of this. The main bully I came across was Gary Wilson and he protected his cronies. Since he went what a difference. The new guy is really decent. Theres been loads of changes and thats been hard but most of the people I worked with including the senior ones were decent hard working people and btw I rated Margaret Burns. She was realy interested in the staff and was very supportive of the great work they did.

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    1. It's ironic that you state you don't recognise any of this but that Gary Wilson was the main bully, which implies that there were others?
      How on earth can you blame one individual for the culture of a whole organisation? And, if it is now such a wonderful place to work, why have you left? I suspect you haven't and you are clearly a bully and a sycophant. Gary Wilson on has only ever been concerned with the rights and welfare of the staff.

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    2. I am confused, you have only just left but you talk about someone as a bully who has been gone for a while now. And you also laud a group of people who, judging by the staff surveys and the comments here, are roundly considered pointless. Much like your comments really.

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  38. I might be one of the cronies he protected. He spoke out against bullies despite the consequences to himself. I still work there and whoever wrote this does not know what they are talking about Morale has never been lower and I agree with previous comments about Burns.Staff surveys have shown an increase in bullying since she took over

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  39. I feel very sad reading these messages. Health Scotland has always had a cadre of really talented people working there, and some of the work over the years has been absolutely excellent. However, like so many other people on this blog, I watched it deteriorate to a second or third rate organization, run unfortunately by people who are out of their depth and rewarded for their incompetence.

    When I was there the HR and OD departments were massively bullying, The staff survey routnely showed horrific levels of bullying - and nothignh was ever done. In would concur with many people when I say Gary Wilson was a breath of fresh air to the org - I think he's left now, but he seemed to be the only person willing to stand up for fairness and dignity at work.

    I saw recently that one of Health Scotland's former Team Heads got convicted of fraud - still claiming taxi rides years after leaving the org. That alone I think shows the culture there - that kind of behaviour does not happen in a vacuum. I have absolutely no doubt this group of senior managers will run the org into the ground, Its already happening and I understand the union is now toothless and has an ever worsening reputation. Such a shame.

    I am so glad I am out of it now - when an org goes this badly wrong its a collective effort, not jsut one person. Its the Board, the Chair and the Senior
    team - and lets face it, anyone who thinks Margaret or Gerry or George or Cath are employable at their levels anywhere else at all are as crazy as they are.

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  40. I agree with most of the things that have been said Cath Denholm is colluding to push up the salaries of senior managers and get rid of none senior staff she is also a bully She was sacked from another health Board. I still work tor Health Scotland and the person who claimed Garry was the bully is probably one of the Directors posing as an ordinary staff member. I will say who I am if he/she does also. Come on if you dare !!!!!

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    1. I am sure that the entry was written by morbidly obese David Pattison as he was trying to get his over inflated salary pushed up with the connivence of the overlarge CEO. He never succeeded but did manage to get a huge payout when he left as Gary was not around to stop it. I have seen the figures

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  41. I am an X None executive and agree Burns is a bully. I would never again sit on another Board after my experience with her. She offered me a reference to keep me quiet but I told her where to put it. She is a horrible bully

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  42. I was recently 'Constructively Dismissed' by NHS Five. This was conceded to at an Employment Tribunal. The processes followed by NHS leading up to my dismissal almost exactly followed this unfortunate case. On fact Donna Brand from HR and Kerr Anderson, the husband of the Mrs Anderson involved in conducting the investigation into Mr Gilfillan carried out almost exactly the same precesses. Which resulted in them allowing the bullyvwho initiated the false acussation against me to turn into a 5 month witch hunt. They did of course loose when this event before a court where they were not allowed to make the rules up as theywent along.

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  43. It is terrible that there is so much NHS bullying.It sickens me that bullies like Maggie Burns and the ones above get away with it. As an ex NHS Health Scotland employee I would urge staff and ex staff to write to the Minister and get her removed. She hides behind a Board of nodding dogs and a buffoon of a CEO so lets drag her deeds out into the public

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  44. Burns is aware of this site as are the SMT. She is terrified as she, like most bullies, likes to stay in the background and hide. All it would take is for staff like us to write to the Minister and have her, the Board and the CEO removed. The Scottish Government know what she is like and would not put up much resistance.
    Lets get them removed so we can have pride in our organisation again

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  45. WANTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST NHS STAFF. FOR BULLYING FOR BEING A SYCOPHANT

    http://www.healthscotland.com/uploads/images/470-Margaret%20Burns.jpg

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  46. I work at Health Scotland and am sad to read these entries. I initially thought it was a good place to work but quickly realised that the likes of the Chief Executive and Cath Denholm are manipulating and bullying junior staff but protecting and promoting their cronies. It is dreadful that they are promoting people they like (crawlers) through the back door by not advertising promoted posts but giving them to people who suck up. As for the Chair I think she realises that she is on her way out and just wants to cling on so her reputation (which is bad) is not completely destroyed.
    The Chief Executive is over promoted and incompetent but not a bad person

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  47. Hi I also work there and think you are too kind about Gerry he is well aware that he is destroying staff morale and the union. I was at a Board meeting a few months ago and the way him and Burns go on almost made me throw up. They are like an old married couple (Yuk). I think he pretends to be more stupid than he actually is but has a plan. Anyway I have been offered another job so thank God am getting out of there.

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  48. I came across this site today and just wanted to say reading all this has helped. I am completely broken by my NHS manager and her cronies and walked out a few days ago. Nothing has changed in the NHS, since that poor man took his own life and I am appalled at what they did to him, but I can understand why he took his own life - came so so close too. My heart goes out to anyone still suffering the insiduous corrosive so called line management. I tried to speak up but no-one listened and it just made things so much worse. I have never seen so much damage inflicted on so many lovely workers by managers as in the nhs. HR supports their behaviour.

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    1. Please do not give up. It is true that bullies rule in parts of the NHS. This is a consequence of Boards stuffed by None Executive Private consultants rather than ordinary people all they are interested in is their fat payments and careers. HR is often managed by dimwits like Cath Denholm with no HR experiece. Never let these bullies doubt yourself. You will get stronger. Take action, fight back there are more of us than them. Sadly Unions often collude with these people

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  49. I knew Burns when she was on Highland Health Board and although she was a none entity I agree she is a bully. She puts her initials of her award on everything and was generally hated by all. I feel sorry for Health Scotland staff but she cannot have long to go. As for the CEO staff should take out a grievance he will not be the first CEO that the Government have kicked out

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  50. I knew McLoughlin when he worked at the Red Cross. Us staff there celebrated when he left. Horrible fat man

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  51. One of their Board members is Ali Jarvis She is a right wing upper class bully

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  52. 10 months and then its ding dong Burnsy is gone!!!

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  53. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/health-boards-health-and-safety-worries-over-printer.1
    Shame they are not as worried about their staff as they are about printers

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  54. Please see this excellent web site on bullying and for how to deal with sociopaths like those at Health Scotland
    http://www.bullyonline.org/action/action.htm

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  55. http://www.patientsfirst.org.uk/
    Join this organisation and tell your story. NHS bullying is rife and people like Burns are getting away with bullying. Expose it

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  56. The latest they are promoting team heads through the back door whilst the rest of the NHS is struggling to make ends meet. Burns of course will nod this through to support the stupid CEO

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