Culture of bullying and harassment at Wales' biggest A&E
"There's a risk of harming patients" and "bullying and harassment pervades all levels of staff".
Those are just two of the damning conclusions of an independent report looking at the emergency units run by Cardiff and Vale health board.
It found evidence of a culture of bullying, harassment and inappropriate behavior at the emergency unit of Wales' biggest hospital, and targets being prioritised over patient care.
The report was commissioned by the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to investigate concerns raised by staff.
Nurses had complained they were being badly treated, that staffing levels were poor, and hitting targets was more important than patient care.
The report finds:
Current patient care arrangements lead to patients regularly receiving less than optimum levels of care and experience, causing ongoing significant risk of harm to patients.
The prevailing organisational culture has resulted in harm to employees.
During busy periods, targets are prioritised instead of patient-focused care.
There is clear evidence of a culture of bullying, harassment and inappropriate behaviour and treatment which pervades all levels of staff in the Emergency Services at UHW (University Hospital of Wales)
Emergency services at UHW were significantly understaffed for nursing and medical staff
The report gives a number of recommendations on how the board can improve in these areas.
In response to the report, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board say they plan to launch an action group to tackle the issues outlined.
It's yet another bad headline for the health board and UHW. Last year a nurse working in the emergency unit wrote a letter to the media, including ITV Wales, saying conditions there were "more stressful than working in a war zone."
If you've been affected by the culture at the health board you can contact us at wales@itv.com