An NHS report has slammed a ‘toxic’ culture in Mersey Care’s leadership team.
The independent review commissioned by NHS England found a ‘pervasive culture of anxiety’ within the Liverpool City Region healthcare provider’s organisation.
Mersey Care chief executive Trish Bennett and chair Rosie Cooper, a former regional MP, requested a forensic assessment of the senior leadership’s culture.
An estimated 11,000 people are employed by the Foundation Trust, who operate physical and mental health services as well as addiction treatment in the region.
But staff were said to have felt ‘fearful, anxious and unable to speak openly’ due to ‘adversarial and mistrustful’ relationships with their senior management.
The report, which came to light from a Freedom of Information request, said the relationship between board leaders was ‘widely regarded as dysfunctional’.
Authors of the report dated November 2025 also cited ‘recurring issues such as mistrust, lack of psychological safety, perceptions of favouritism and nepotism, governance deficiencies, and communication breakdowns have fostered a culture that is both unsustainable and detrimental to organisational performance’.
Recommendations made to the Mersey Care hierarchy included to ‘refresh board-level leadership with individuals who embody the right values and behaviours’.
Ms Cooper stepped down as chair last year due to health reasons while three other non-executive directors have also left the Trust following the damning review.
A Mersey Care spokesperson said: “The review highlighted several areas to build on, and the Trust acted swiftly to strengthen board arrangements, enhance governance and decision-making and further embed the leadership behaviours and standards expected across the organisation.
“We have also created further structured opportunities for colleagues to share feedback, raise concerns and help shape how we continue to improve.
“Our senior leadership team is consistently engaging with staff through visible leadership, listening events, staff forums and open dialogue.
“Today, we have a cohesive board and executive team with a shared ambition for the future of Mersey Care.
“Culture is never static and we are committed to continually developing our leadership, governance and organisational culture to meet the evolving needs of our patients, communities and staff.
“Our focus remains on maintaining the highest standards of care, supporting our people and building an organisation that continues to learn, improve and deliver outstanding services.”