The world-renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital has been plunged into crisis after an explosive leaked letter revealed a shocking breakdown in trust between its consultants and leadership.
In a damning document sent to the Moorfield Board of Governors, Dr Hari Jayaram, Chair of the Consultants Committee, alleges that over 80 senior doctors - more than half of the total - have lost confidence in some aspects of the hospital’s leadership, claiming there has been a “culture of bullying,” financial mismanagement, and a lack of transparency. The letter, dated February 26, 2025, lays out five key areas of concern that it says, if left unchecked, could lead to “irreparable damage” to Moorfields' international reputation.
According to the letter, a climate of coercion and intimidation has taken hold at Moorfields. It claims consultants have witnessed “the rise of a culture of fear and suppression of information within the organisation” and adds they have been pressured into silence to align with an “unhealthy corporate agenda”.
“The consultant body has grave concerns about the embedding of such a culture within Moorfields,” the letter states. “There have been a number of patronising, demeaning, and disrespectful interactions with clinicians and senior colleagues.”
The letter highlights an ‘institutional instability’ at the hospital
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It claimed as a consequence staff “have not felt at liberty to speak up for what they consider to be morally correct or in the best interests of the Trust”.
The letter also claims those who have spoken out in the past have faced personal repercussions. “Understandably, colleagues are concerned about potential personal repercussions,” Dr Jayaram warned. The letter added: “There have been a number of patronising, demeaning, and disrespectful interactions with clinicians and senior colleagues, this being part of an overt and pervasive culture of ‘bullying’.”
One alarming allegation in the letter concerns an independent audit, which reportedly found “four high-risk breaches” within the Moorfields Reading Centre - which evaluates all the eye images. These risks, it states, could lead to “substantial losses, violation of corporate strategies, reputational damage, negative publicity, or adverse regulatory impact.”
“The full report has yet to be released,” Dr Jayaram wrote, adding that legal reviews have downplayed concerns, and were at odds with the Trust’s own internal Regular Service Monitoring review - RSM. “The conclusion arising from these legal reviews... is at odds with the independent RSM report.”
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The letter also highlights an “institutional instability” with a concerning turnover of senior staff. Among those who have suddenly left are three executives who it says were “summarily seconded away from the Trust in October 2024 without explanation.”
In a statement, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “Yesterday Moorfields received a letter from our consultant body which outlines concerns that some of our consultants have. We are in the process of actively listening to these concerns.
“We recognise that the consultant body is integral to the success and the future of Moorfields, that they provide exceptional care for our patients every day and we welcome their important views.
“The Board is fully committed to building a strong and valuable relationship with our consultant body and we are in the process of actively listening to concerns, beginning an open and transparent dialogue and agreeing and commencing a plan to move forward.
“The Board is committed to our trust values of equity, excellence and kindness. We continue to have good relationships with our research partners, in particular UCL and we are focused on ensuring the trust offers outstanding care to our patients and is set up to continue to do this into the future.”
