TWO members of staff at Farnham Hospital have been temporarily suspended while an allegation, believed to have been made by a patient on Bentley Ward, is investigated. The suspension comes in the wake of a story in The Herald last month in which it was alleged that bullying of staff and patients was rife on the ward. Long-standing nurses were said to be leaving their jobs and young student nurses frightened off, while agency and locum staff were unwilling to work there, a source claimed. The Herald has learned of the suspensions from the same souce and in a statement, Surrey Primary Care Trust has confirmed that two staff at the hospital have been temporarily suspended during an investigation into an allegation. "This suspension is not a judgement and does not imply guilt. It is a precautionary measure to ensure that an appropriate and fair investigation can take place and is normal practice in situations of this nature," said the statement. "Surrey PCT has a duty of care to both patients and staff to ensure that any allegations made are investigated properly and fairly for the benefit of all concerned." The Herald reported a similar case in January 2006, with an investigation launched into a "senior nurse", who had allegedly verbally bullied patients, staff and students. Information was said to have gone missing and the inquiry found no case for further action. Following the latest story, several members of the public have contacted The Herald, both to validate the bullying claims and in one case, to strongly refute them. Sheila Blake, of Farnham Park Close, wrote: "Further to your article ref bullying on Bentley Ward, Farnham Hospital - what a load of rubbish! "My partner has been on Bentley Ward for the last six months and never have I seen any evidence of bullying, indeed the nurses there are dedicated, caring and nothing is too much trouble for them." She criticised the source for hiding behind anonymity and hoped a formal complaint would be followed up, "if only to exonerate the team of excellent nurses on Bentley Ward". But Paul Franklin from The Sands, who was on the ward for five months after a hip replacement commented: "I am amazed this has taken so long to get out, as the attitude on the ward was very much 'do as you are bloody well told'. "In their defence, they have a lot of geriatric people who have Alzheimers and the like, but not everybody going there is like that. "Their attitude is that all patients are suffering from some sort of dementia, and I know I'm not the only one to be picked on." Charles Coleman, from Wrecclesham, who was transferred to Farnham's Bentley Ward from Frimley Park for therapy after breaking an ankle, told a similar story. Mr Coleman said that The Herald article brought back memories of his "incarceration" on the ward during the summer of 2006. He claimed that although medical attention could not be faulted, the attitude of a few medical staff left a lot to be desired. One nurse, he described as "downright rude and insolent", another as "unhelpful and insulting on every occasion". Of the latter, he said: "I had to remind her that I had been sent to Bentley ward because of my broken ankle, not because I was senile. "Fortunately, the rest of the nursing staff created a balance, with good care and helpfulness." A third patient, who did not wish to be named, told of his experiences on the ward. "I was received by a host of nurses and I got inpression that I wasn't really wanted. I was put in the bed and just left in my room. "I stayed overnight and in the morning a nurse came round at 6am, asking if I wanted a cup of tea. She went off and back came the tea, but she said that I couldn't drink the tea in bed. "The moment I got out of bed they stripped it. There was no heating and this was in the middle of February. I sat in this chair in the cold for two hours and eventually breakfast was offered. "A nurse came round and took my blood pressure and removed a zimmerframe from the side of the bed. But during the course of the day I needed to go to the loo, so I rang the bell and waited. There was no reply. "I got out of bed and steadied myself on a trolley that had coasters on it. It shot out from under me and I crashed on the ground and broke my knee." The patient said a gaggle of nurses appeared and discussed how they were going to get the patient on the bed. "I don't lift", they all allegedly said, before fetching a hoist that they didn't know how to work. Sarah Wardle, community health services director for South West Surrey, said she was concerned to hear members of the public were critical of the care they received at Farnham Hospital. "We take all comments of this nature very seriously, however, due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on individual care and treatment. "The PCT is fully committed to delivering the highest standards of patient care and the care we provide at Farnham Hospital is no exception. "Improving patients' experiences is really important to us and we would be more than happy to talk to anyone who has any feedback about their experiences with any local NHS services, should they wish to contact us in person. "Following a recent article relating to an allegation of staff harassment at the hospital, we would like to reiterate that any form of harassment, including bullying, is unacceptable behaviour and we are currently carrying out an internal investigation into these claims."
