WorkSafe has issued an improvement notice after investigating complaints of bullying at a unit at Starship children's hospital. Phil Pennington reports.

This story first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission

Multiple allegations of bullying and harassment of staff have been reported at Starship children's hospital in Auckland, RNZ can reveal.

Worksafe issued a deadline in April to improve the situation, with that deadline set to expire in two weeks, but unions say there is no sign of any improvement.

RNZ understands five doctors and eight nurses at Starship unit Te Puaruruhau complained about bullying over a number of years.

The unit gives 24-hour care to abused children.

"WorkSafe completed an onsite assessment at Starship Hospital on March 26, 2025, after receiving multiple notifications alleging bullying and harassment," the watchdog said on Monday.

"An improvement notice was issued after our inspector observed that there was no effective system to identify, assess, control and review psychosocial risks."

Starship was given a deadline of October 22 to fix this system, and Health NZ said the work was well underway.

But someone familiar with the situation, who RNZ has agreed not to name, said the issue was systemic "and there's been no easy way to report it".

It is another example of public hospitals struggling with bullying.

Te Puaruruhau provides urgent medical service for children and young people suffering acute sexual harm or life-threatening injuries, and co-ordinates with police and Oranga Tamariki.

Health New Zealand has not made clear if it has actually investigated the bullying complaints.

Health NZ and the district health boards that preceded it have known about the high risks and gaps around psychosocial risks at hospitals for years.

A 2022 Worksafe survey found these risks were higher for healthcare workers than other workers.

"Managers and colleagues primarily caused bullying", and healthcare workers were "less likely to report receiving supervisor support and fair treatment at work", the survey said.

A Worksafe inspector found health and safety laws were being broken at Starship.

"Inquiries included admissions by senior leaders," the agency said.

Worksafe told Starship to set up a proper reporting system that escalated concerns up the chain and to manage the risks.

"Nothing has happened," said the NZ Nurses' Union (NZNO). "We don't expect much."

Health NZ said this week it was "working on actions" across the agency to support leaders and staff, and ensure their safety and well-being.

"Work is well underway at Te Toka Tumai [northern region] to implement WorkSafe's recommendations to strengthen our risk identification and management processes for psychosocial safety in the workplace," said spokesperson Robyn Shearer.

Work included reviewing how hazards and risks were recorded and providing advice on how to create a safe working environment, she said.

"Psychosocial risk is one of our nationally identified health and safety risks and is seen as equally important as physical or environmental risks.

"We encourage our workforce to report these risks and incidents to us so we can support them."

RNZ reported last week a bullying complaint against a senior staffer at Dunedin Hospital was upheld in 2023.

Southland Hospital is also still dealing with complaints against managers that have been the subject of a review by Health NZ headquarters in Wellington.

Staff have spoken out claiming bullying at Palmerston North hospital in 2022, at Middlemore in 2019 and at other hospitals. A coroner's report found inadequate health and safety systems at Nelson Hospital, connected with a worker's death in 2020.

"Health NZ's leadership culture, even at a senior level, generally, is toxic," a staffer told RNZ.

Health NZ has been asked for comment and an interview.

Healthcare workers used to be one of Worksafe's prioritised sectors.

Worksafe quietly put out its first guide to managing psychosocial risks earlier this year.

About the same time it dumped its team that dealt with this, although it told RNZ on Tuesday that it retained staff with expertise in mentally healthy work and occupational health.

This dismayed the Institute of Safety Management.

"We think this was a shame given that Worksafe's research suggests that psychosocial risks are the second biggest cause of workplace harm and about as many people die from work-related suicide as from accidents at work each year," it said.

The team was set up not long before a baseline review of Worksafe in 2022, which said it was giving this "greater visibility and focus" after high-profile instances of workplace bullying and harassment.

Its Strategic Plan for Work-Related Health 2016-2026 was reviewed in 2023, but has since been superseded by its new organisational strategy.

Work safety minister Brooke van Velden said her reforms of regulations would mean small, low-risk businesses did not need to have a psychosocial harm policy in place, and mandatory notifications would be cut to just deaths, serious injury, illness and "incidents".