The trust and commission will continue working together

East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs major hospitals in Eastbourne and Hastings, was ordered to take action over the problem in January 2006.

Now a Healthcare Commission progress report has commended the efforts made.

An action plan was brought in after evidence was found of bullying and harassment at the trust's workplaces.

'Zero tolerance'

In April 2005, the Healthcare Commission investigated claims made by members of staff and a local GP.

Forty-six out of 5,000 employees interviewed said they had been bullied or harassed.

There were also issues of senior management and human resources staff not taking enough action to deal with any bullying concerns.

The trust was told a "culture of zero tolerance" needed to be established, with the appraisals system reviewed and a staff charter and handbook developed.