How one phone call led to report on NAS allegations

More than 30 women recently said they experienced sexual harassment, misogyny, bullying or intimidation while working in the National Ambulance Service (NAS).

An unpublished Health Service Executive (HSE) internal review obtained by the programme also raised concerns about the culture and leadership of the service, including references to bullying and harassment and what it described as a traditional "command and control" management style.

Aisling Kenny outlines how the story came to light.

It began with one phone call.

A woman wanted to speak to me about her experience working in the National Ambulance Service.

During those early days looking into the culture in the service, it wasn't clear where the story would lead.

But as the weeks went on, and more brave women spoke about their experience, it quickly became apparent this story was like a Russian doll with many layers.

As I asked questions, one account led to another and a familiar concerning pattern began to emerge, with women independently telling similar stories.

Over the course of the investigation for RTÉ’s Prime Time more than 30 women recounted their experiences.

They described allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny, inappropriate sexual comments touching and intimidation. Some of the stories dated back years but many were recent.

Some of the harrowing testimony couldn’t be aired or published because it was too specific and could potentially identify an individual or others who were being investigated by gardaí.

Some of the women revealed how they were afraid they might be viewed as complaining and viewed as "difficult". Many were concerned any revelations might damage their careers.

Women spoke about their experiences as trainees and told how power was held over them as they were ultimately dependent on those above them successfully signing them off from their training.

RTÉ asked questions about the complaints system within the National Ambulance Service and crucially how it operated after many women told us they lacked confidence in that system.

However, it was important to interrogate whether any evidence from within the organisation actually mirrored what the women were telling us.

Freedom of Information requests revealed evidence of culture problems within NAS that had been raised for many years.

The report that 'never saw the light of day'

One of the most significant pieces of information RTÉ obtained was a HSE Workplace Health and Wellbeing review of the NAS culture undertaken in 2021. It was never published or reported on.

One source said the report "never saw the light of day", despite it raising concerns about mistrust, negative workplace culture and a negative leadership style.

It also described a traditional "command and control" structure, alongside a tendency to blame.

All this additional information substantially added to the credibility of the women who had the courage to speak out as the allegations were not surfacing in isolation.

The paper trail also threw up further warning signs - a letter written by a senior manager to the Director of the NAS, Robert Morton, raised concern about the risk of misogyny and sexual misconduct.

He also expressed disquiet about the number of women in leadership roles, highlighting that in one operational area where 12 senior managers were appointed, all of them were men.

One of the most troubling allegations centred on the National Ambulances Training College in Tallaght. A former trainee spoke about a militaristic teaching style there where the approach was to break students down by building them up.

RTÉ also established there is currently an investigation into sexual misconduct in the college.

Prime Time had been submitting questions to the HSE and the NAS for a number of months.

A week before the report was due to be broadcast, the HSE released a statement saying that a new culture initiative was being established chaired by retired Major General Maureen O’Brien.

There is now a process underway to establish what happened and what needed to change.

As our reporting continued, another strand to the story emerged.

The concerns raised about the culture in the NAS were not the only red flags.

As we dug deeper into Freedom of Information requests, we found that the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) - the independent regulator responsible for standards for paramedics and emergency care workers - had been writing to successive ministers for health warning about limitations of their powers.

Those warnings were about the inability to take criminals, including people convicted of sexual offence, off the paramedic register going back years.

By 2024, the Council described itself as "beyond frustrated and concerned" about the lack of action.

In a letter to the current Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill in December last year, PHECC said it was "inexplicable" that legislation had still not been strengthened, despite the issue having been identified as a priority for more than ten years.

It also told the Minister it was aware of at least 13 registered practitioners with criminal convictions who had been on the register at some stage - eight of whom had convictions for sexual assault. PHECC says that to its knowledge there is currently no criminals on the register.

That is a separate issue from the allegations made by women working within the NAS.

But it became an important part of our reporting because it raised a broader question about oversight and accountability, including what happens when concerns about the safety of the system are repeatedly brought to the attention of those responsible for it.

The evidence uncovered in the report ultimately raises questions about the culture, management, and oversight within the NAS.

The women came forward anonymously because they feared the consequences of speaking out.

As the review gets is underway, those women will be watching closely to see if their concerns are finally heard and if real change follows.