Bullying still prevalent in health sector - surgeon

  • 30/10/2015
Bullying still prevalent in health sector - surgeon

A Christchurch surgeon is dismayed that bullying is still rampant in the medical profession more than a decade after he first complained about issue.

Writing in today's New Zealand Medical Journal, Dr Steve Kelly says bullying remains endemic in the health sector – and is calling for the culture of treating medical trainees harshly to end.

The article comes just days after a Kiwi doctor was sacked for offering a medical student favourable grades in return for sex.

"The psychological impact is massive and there is a personal stories document that's quite harrowing, really," Dr Kelly says.

"I mean, we're talking quite significant sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination."

A survey released by the College of Surgeons earlier this year found 49 percent of medical students had experienced some form of bullying in their time studying and practising medicine.

The survey also found that 71 percent of hospitals had reported bullying or sexual harassment by a surgeon in the last five years.

RadioLIVE / 3 News