The impact of workplace culture
Incivility, undermining and poor workplace behaviours can hinder psychological safety and impact team morale, effective communication and overall team performance. These permissive environments can lead to defensive practice, high stress, burnout and sickness.
Undermining in obstetrics and gynaecology
Undermining and bullying behaviour has long been recognised as a problem in O&G, as shown by repeated General Medical Council (GMC) trainee surveys and analysed in the RCOG Workplace Behaviour TEF reports.
The RCOG is committed to improving the workplace for the benefit of both staff and the women and families we care for. Read the RCOG and RCM joint statement on bullying and undermining in the workplace.
RCOG Workplace Behaviour Advisors
RCOG Workplace Behaviour Advisors take a proactive approach to addressing negative workplace behaviours in individual units, deaneries and schools, and work with other relevant organisations on initiatives to reduce bullying and undermining.
In 2013, we appointed Dr Joanna Mountfield FRCOG as the College’s first Workplace Behaviours Advisor – the first medical royal college to make such an appointment.
Our current Workplace Behaviour Advisors are Dr Ganga Verma and Dr Susie Crowe.
Dr Ganga Verma
Ganga is a consultant in Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and as well as being one of the Workplace Behaviour Advisors for the RCOG, is also a Freedom to Speak Up guardian in her own trust.
Through her desire to gain a deeper understanding of why negativity in the workplace exists, how it affects different people in different circumstances and what can be done to eradicate it, Ganga has been involved as an active member of the Civility Saves Lives campaign.
In addition, Ganga proficiently led on developing the ‘Addressing poor behaviours and Calling it Out’ module of the Workplace Behaviour Toolkit resource, and is passionate about promoting positive workplace behaviours through engaging with and supporting individuals, trusts and deaneries.
Dr Susie Crowe
As well as being one of the RCOG Workplace Behaviour Advisors, Susie is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist working at Barts Health NHS Trust, the President of the British Intrapartum Care Society (BICS), and is also the National Specialty Advisor in Obstetrics for NHSE.
With a wealth of experience in leadership, including as intrapartum lead, obstetric lead, clinical director, regional lead obstetrician for London, and maternity improvement advisor for NHSE, Susie has continually supported departments to strive for excellence and create systems based on kindness and compassion.
Susie has a passion for improving maternity care at local, regional, and national levels and acknowledges that in order to deliver high quality care for women, birthing people and their families, nurturing environments need to be created through compassionate leadership and establishing the right culture to ensure our workforce can feel psychologically safe and thrive.
Regional Workplace Behaviour Champions
The regional Workplace Behaviour Champions promote positive workplace behaviours and offer guidance on workplace conduct to trainees, early career SAS and LE doctors in O&G.
Useful resources
Explore the toolkit to:
- Address poor workplace behaviours
- Build the skills and confidence to speak up
- Promote an understanding of the impact of behaviour
Access this free, practical and interactive resource, which aims to raise awareness of undermining and bullying in the workplace and illustrate ways to tackle the problem.
Find tools, guidance and training resources to support inclusive, equitable practice
Listen to conversations on initiatives that are driving positive change in O&G workplaces across the UK.
Find out more
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has launched an online resource to tackle bullying and undermining