A PRESSURE group campaigning against alleged bullying of NHS staff in Worcestershire has reiterated a call to victims of mistreatment to contact them.

Member s of Betrayed by Their Trust demonstrated outside the headquarters of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust – the main provider of community and mental health services in the county – in Shrub Hill Road on Thursday, May 21.

The organisation was set up in February in reaction to alleged cases of bullying of staff by management within the county’s NHS and aims to provide a focal point where anyone feeling they had been mistreated can share their experiences and campaign those responsible to be held to account.

Speaking on Thursday the group’s chairman Nigel Gilbert said he wanted staff to be aware he and his fellow campaigners were out there to support them if they felt bullied.

“We’re just here to register that we’re still here and to reach staff,” he said. “That‘s what we’re going to continue doing.

“When we’ve held demonstrations before a lot of staff talked to us, but that’s not happening today.

“I think they’ve instructed everybody not to talk to us.

“We have had a steady stream of staff contact us since we started, but a lot of people have contacted us and set up meeting but then backed out because they didn’t want to be exposed and didn’t know if they could trust us.”

Group member and former nurse Mandy Bridgman claimed a culture of intimidation within the county’s health service meant many staff were too afraid to speak out.

“It’s rife and it’s not just here,” she said.

Chief executive of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust Sarah Dugan said the organisation was cooperating with an investigation by the Trust Development Authority (TDA) into the allegations. She said the organisation was aware of five alleged cases – two referring to former employees of the trust along with two from within the Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership and one from Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, both of which were disbanded in July 2011.

“We strongly refute allegations that there exists a bullying culture across this current organisation but we will co-operate fully with the TDA’s review,” she said.

For more information on the campaign group visit http://bbttworcs.tumblr.com.