Suicides, sackings, claims of bullying at Tauranga Hospital

On Thursday RNZ brought you the story of Jeremy Avis, a Tauranga Hospital nurse who committed suicide. He is one of two nurses who felt bullied at the hospital then killed themselves. A third suspected suicide is being investigated by the Coroner. Mr Avis was assaulted by a colleague in 2014 and he told his family management took no action and offered him no support. A co-worker, Tessa Pederson, witnessed the assault and was shocked when management did nothing about it. She spoke to Susie Ferguson from Australia where she now works. The Bay of Plenty DHB sent RNZ a statement saying its records don't align with what what RNZ News has uncovered. But it won't elaborate. It says it is firmly committed to an anti-bullying culture. More than a dozen former and current staff at the Bay of Plenty DHB, which runs Tauranga hospital, have told RNZ there is widespread bullying. They say disciplinary processes were used by management to belittle and humiliate employees and nothing was done about multiple physical assaults. In a statement to RNZ, the DHB says the suicides are distressing for all involved, including family, friends and work colleagues. But it says it has found "significant and material differences" between the accounts RNZ uncovered in its investigation and what appears in hospital records. It did not elaborate on these differences. The DHB says it "takes allegations of inappropriate behaviour very seriously."