“There is real suffering among employees”: a scathing report following the suicides of staff at Béziers hospital

According to the unions: “An internal communication problem is being pointed out by the experts.” Midi Libre – Yannick Pons

The report requested by the three unions of staff at Béziers hospital, after the suicide of a nurse in June, was presented to the unions on Wednesday, September 18. It points out a certain number of dysfunctions.

An audit commissioned by the Béziers hospital unions (Force Ouvrière, CGT and CFDT) after the suicide last June of a nurse who had worked in hematology, was presented to the unions on Wednesday, September 18. Conducted by an external organization, it comes after another suicide (at the end of August) of a hospital staff member and an attempted suicide by a hospital worker at the beginning of September.

According to our information, these last two events do not have any direct links with the Béziers hospital. It could be that these are rather personal problems that are difficult to resolve. However, the CGT and FO unions are pointing the finger at management and its lack of communication.

"We will not give up!"

Marc Valette, representative of FO, the majority union, at the Béziers hospital explains after having been able to read the content of this famous report: “The main issue that emerges from the expert report presented on Wednesday is a problem with the medical organisation, but also with internal communication. Because of things that are left unsaid, there is a feeling of staff abandonment because their problems are not being addressed. Management is suggesting ways to improve. We are not against it, but we want to reinstate what was done in the past. That is to say, monthly department meetings where everyone can express themselves. I felt that management was attentive to what we were asking of them. In any case, we will not give up. Working with an external auditing company has allowed us to take a step back from this issue. In Béziers, we have a magnificent tool, motivated staff and we need to get a reaction from management. It is necessary for the hospital."

“Work and discuss with our teams”

On the side of the management of the Béziers hospital establishment, they refuse to comment on the subject:“First of all, we are thinking about our teams and our priority will be to discuss with them. On Tuesday, two experts will come to present the specific report on the hematology department and here again it is with this team that we will work and discuss. We are not here to fuel controversy.”

“There is a real great suffering among employees”

Magali Lafaille (CGT delegate) is less positive. “The situation at the hospital has deteriorated over the years. There is a real malaise, a trauma. Management says it was not aware of the seriousness of the situation. However, as far as I know, all this has been expressed at length. We have problems with the human resources department, there is real great suffering among employees. It is said in the report: “This would be similar to institutional mistreatment”.”

“Nothing seems transparent to us”

The union representative nevertheless acknowledges that measures have been put in place by her management: “But it remains very vague. We want to improve living conditions, but nothing seems transparent to us. That is what is complicated.” Returning to the two previous suicides and the attempt at the beginning of September: “These are three people who worked at the hospital. We are living in a crisis situation. Emergency measures must be implemented even if for the last person, we know that there is no direct link with their work. It is a whole. When our nurse colleague took her own life in June, the service was so disrupted that it had to be closed. No one felt like working anymore because it was such a shock. Even today, it is not working at full capacity. It is hard for them to have had to live through this tragedy."

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