Shropshire hospital ward manager 'manipulated situations' with staff 'too scared' to challenge her, hearing told

Deborah Povall is currently facing a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) substantive hearing into allegations relating to how she treated staff and the care patients received on Powys Ward at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen.

Ms Povall has admitted working excessive hours but denies all of the other charges, relating to alleged behaviour between 2017 and 2019.

Resuming the hearing on Wednesday (August 27), the panel heard from Heather Owen, who is now a ward manager at the hospital.

Ms Owen said Ms Povall made her feel “scared, threatened and intimidated” because she would shout at her and “put her down”.

She added that other people were also shouted at, which caused some of them to cry.

“Over a period of time, the belittling, the intimidation, the threatening, the changing of my shifts, the innuendos, got to the point I just did what I was told because, wrongly or rightly, it was the easiest thing I could do and manage to stay employed,” said Ms Owen.

Paula Griffiths, a patient admission co-ordinator at RJAH, also described having a difficult working relationship with Ms Povall because she didn’t know what “side” of her she would get.

“Sometimes we’d get a very bubbly and cheerful Deb, but sometimes you could just tell by going onto the ward there was an atmosphere,” said Ms Griffiths.

“There would be several sides to her – it would all depend on her mood.

“At times I felt intimidated and controlled. I couldn’t go against or challenge Deb, whereas I could with other ward managers. I think I was too scared to do so and was very aware not to get on the wrong side of Deb.”

Ms Griffiths added that Ms Povall would also “manipulate” situations and would sometimes change bed allocations because she wanted certain consultants on the ward.

“Deb had quite a rapport with the consultants and got on with them. Emergency admissions would normally go through the co-ordinations centre, but some of the times the consultants would directly contact Deb which would completely cut me out of the loop,” said Ms Griffiths.

“Personally, I think Deb liked the challenge of getting the patients on ward, and a lot of the time, had she not have got them there, they may have been cancelled.

“There would be times I would see patients sat out in the bays and Deb would be receiving other patients from theatre. I was told the next day that we really shouldn’t be taking those patients, we were really understaffed.

“Deb wouldn’t be defeated – I think she liked the challenge. As a Band 4, I could not and would not challenge Deb. I was told she could get the patients in and all would be well.”

The hearing heard that Ms Povall was “very particular” when drug rounds were carried out, with Ms Owen describing one incident involving herself and another colleague.

“I would do one half [of the ward] and the other person the other half,” said Ms Owen.

“But I was told off for being minutes earlier so was made to go back in the room for a few minutes, then come out. The next day, Deb started the drug round herself and would come in earlier before a morning shift started.”

Ms Owen was also concerned about how some patients were discharged.

“Deb had discharged a patient but the surgeon or consultant wanted them to be seen the following day,” she said.

Ms Griffiths, meanwhile, said that Ms Povall would take patients from theatre even though the patients who were due to go home had not done so.

“Deb would sit them out in the bay by the window,” said Ms Griffiths.

“It already had six patients in and may have another two or three waiting to be discharged. That didn’t look like safe to me.

“We also had an option for patients waiting for their lifts to go on and sit in our day surgery unit.”

An investigation was carried out into Ms Povall’s alleged behaviour, led independently by Lisa Pim. The hearing heard that staff were worried that if it was done in-house, “it wouldn’t be done properly”.

“I had expressed some of the treatment towards myself to the matron at the time,” said Ms Griffiths.

“She said I just need to let that behaviour go over my head. As a Band 4, it was my responsibility to speak to consultants and confront them and Deb. I did not.

“I felt I had to go with what she said because I felt if I didn’t or I stood up to Deb, or challenge her, it would possibly make my life a little bit worse within work.

“I felt like I was like a puppet on a string and Deb was manipulating me on a string and I knew that. I felt, for my own sake, I had to go along with it and couldn’t stand up for myself.”

The NMC’s final witness is due to give evidence on Thursday (August 28).