Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the British Medical Association's allegations of bullying and harassment of Dr Tim Noble by Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust.

Whilst it would not be appropriate for ministers to comment on individual cases, the Government is clear that bullying is unacceptable in any workplace and has no place in the National Health Service. All employers across the NHS should have a robust policy on bullying outlining how it should be handled and the support available to staff.

NHS England has developed an NHS Civility and Respect programme which provides national guidance, training, and resources to help organisations build positive workplace cultures, tackle bullying and harassment, and ensure staff feel safe and supported in all work environments.

NHS staff should have the confidence to speak out and come forward if they have concerns. There is support in place for staff who wish to raise concerns, including a network of more than 1,200 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians across healthcare in England, whose role is to help and support NHS workers.