Liverpool Echo 6 March 201 By Joshua Taylor
Bernie Cuthel begins five-month secondment to health board in Wales
An NHS boss who resigned after a culture of “bullying” and “blame” was exposed at a Liverpool health trust has landed a new senior job in north Wales.
Bernie Cuthel stepped down as chief executive of Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust after it was slammed by regulators last year.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued the organisation with two warnings in January 2014 for failing to meet national welfare targets – and revealed staff on a trust-run ward at Fazakerley hospital had raised concerns over “bullying” managers and a “blame culture” that made them afraid to report incidents.
Since stepping down last April, Ms Cuthel got a new job at Manchester Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust – and this week began a five-month secondment to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) in Bangor.
She will work as the board’s interim director of primary, community and mental health services.
West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper, who previously asked questions in Parliament about Ms Cuthel’s time in Liverpool, slammed the BCUHB’s decision to hire her.
The Labour politician said: “There’s a serious gap in accountability when senior executives and boards preside over a culture of bullying and intimidation.
“In the light of my investigations into the Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust, I have referred Bernie Cuthel to the CQC to ask them whether she is a fit and proper person to be involved in another NHS organisation.
“We are nowhere near the end of the investigations and litigation which will come out of the Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust.”
The CQC’s inquiry last year said staff at the Liverpool trust claimed their managers were “intimidating”, “unresponsive” and “bullying”.
A number of employees said they would not report concerns to the management team for fear of reprisals and recrimination.
Ms Cuthel stepped down in April along with the Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust’s director of nursing and human resources director.
A BCUHB spokesman said: “We advertised a secondment opportunity on the NHS Jobs website.
“Ms Cuthel applied in open competition and was deemed to be the best candidate at interview.
“Pre-employment checks, including taking up two references from her current and former employers, were completed.
“A secondment agreement has been entered into with her current employer for a period of five months.”
The BCUHB added that Ms Cuthel would not make any comment personally.
SHARMILA CHOWDHURY 
Nothing changed nothing down just send the bullies elsewhere yes to start their bullying all over again untill we go back to were hospitals are run by those who now the job and care about the nhs
Unfortunately, this is typically what happens. Senior managers behave badly and then just move on elsewhere – so they can carry on where they left off.
And look who arrived at Fazakerley Hospital £205,000 richer to replace the ousted Human Resources Director. Senior manager Sue Green, fresh from Wirral, with its own bullying culture to contend with and 24 grievances lodged in her wake:
https://wirralinittogether.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/24-grievances-a-director-2-leave-arrowe-park-and-theyre-still-not-talking/
What a kick in the teeth to hard working staff, patients and the public.
It really is. It just makes mockery of the whole system. There is no accountability for managers – left to their own devices & patted on back when things go wrong & given help. Whistleblowers and patients are left abandoned to fend for themselves.
The recent enquiry by stupid Hunt was just a veneer of attention to pacify people and make the gullible believe all is well. Cameron will not allow protests or criticism. Try to protest outside parliament, go on I dare you. Try to photograph the reaction to the attempt at protesting and you may never see your family again. And by the way, the police are not required to understand the law or abide by it. I have an IPPC document stating this. So what you gona do? It’s too late and Emperor CaMoron has even sneaked in a law to silence the press. He loves law that means whatever he wants it to. Look at the localism act. It may as well be the old hellfire club motto. I bet he’s got BUPA
Bullying is a chronic and endemic problem not just in the NHS but in it’d Trade Unions particularly UNISON North West where bullying senior managers on astronomical salaries bully junior staff into fiddling recruitment stats, failing to represent their members interests and pissing off the members by failing to respond.
One Regional Organiser in the North West has been banned from several workplaces due to his bullying and degrotary attitudes.
When I submitted a greivasnce against such individual, UNISON North West closed ranks and forced me onto extended sick leave and eventually resigning to save my mental health.