Ombudsman Arlene Brock yesterday said Bermuda Hospitals Board was quickly and comprehensively putting methods in place to tackle a hospital environment blighted by racism.

Ms Brock said the team at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital was making good progress undertaking the 15 recommendations in her damning A Tale Of Two Hospitals report.

Last year, the Ombudsman described racism as a major divisive force at the hospital, and said it was plagued by a climate of rumour, innuendo and conjecture.

Ms Brock conceded it would take some time to change the culture of attitudes at KEMH, but insisted that if the new procedures are followed more cohesive relations would develop.

And while none of Ms Brock's recommendations directly target the suggestions of political interference highlighted in her document, she said the implementation of them all would eliminate any meddling.

She told a press conference the recommendations would improve accountability, transparency, learning and diversity at KEMH.

"I sincerely believe that implementation of the initiatives will be enduring and will ensure that the oversight of patient management is at the highest standard," she stated.

"With these changes the public can have great confidence that patient care will be the central and shared focus among medical professionals at KEMH.

"A change in personal attitudes and institutional culture will, of course, take much longer. However, in the interim, the policies and structures at the hospital will no longer support differential treatment of medical professionals for reasons other than merit."

Board CEO David Hill said: "We have been very encouraged by the response of the Ombudsman to our progress to date and would like to thank Ms Brock for all the support she has provided us.

"Many of the Ombudsman's recommendations have been completed or are near completion. We also recognise that establishing a diversity appreciative culture is vital for the whole organisation in order to provide a high quality healthcare service.

"In the same way we seek ways to continually improve our clinical quality, we are committed to establish a culture that has proven integrity and is demonstrably fair and equitable."

To see the report and recommendations in full, visit www.ombudsman.bm