The damning report independent experts Absolute Diversity highlighted inconsistent leadership behaviours, a lack of fairness and accountability and barriers to career progression, particularly for colleagues from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds.

It make five recommendations: rebuilding trust by making it safe for people to speak up and to showing when action has been taken; reviewing staff's experiences of HR processes and improving services; creating a work safety plan; implementing a programme to ensure leaders take ownership and deliver on their commitments; and rolling out a programme for middle managers to help build fair and more confident teams.

Medway Trust said it had already taken a number of actions, including: launching an independent Freedom to Speak Up service; creating dignity at work advisors; rolling out sexual safety e-learning and inclusion by design training; signing the NHS Sexual Safety in Healthcare Charter; and focussed work to reduce incivility. Further actions include creating executive inclusion champions.

Jonathan Wade, interim chief executive for Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We commissioned an independent review to better understand the experiences of our staff, and help us make changes so that all staff feel safe, supported and able to thrive at work.

‘Changing our culture means that we start by being open about the report's findings, take responsibility for where we have let our staff down and implement the recommendations, which we fully accept.

‘While the report contains moments of pride and positivity, it also details unacceptable behaviours that some staff have endured and courageously shared as part of this review, for which we are deeply sorry.

‘There is no place for bullying, discrimination, racism or any other toxic behaviour at Medway. We are determined to make changes that will create a safer, more inclusive and fairer place to work, for all our staff.'