The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has launched an urgent investigation into allegations of a toxic, fear-ridden culture at Albury Wodonga Health as a trainee surgeon delivers a chilling first-person account of conditions inside the service.

It is the latest in a series of incidents placing the executive team under the spotlight after it sacked respected breast surgeon Dr John Stuchbery back in July.

In a searing testimony published in The Border Mail today, the unnamed trainee wrote: “Although staffed by some amazing doctors, nurses and allied health staff, the senior leadership at Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) presides over a horrific workplace culture centred around fear that drives talented healthcare workers away from this community and actively contributes to patient harm.”

Stressing they were nearing the end of their training, they added: “I will never return to work as a surgeon in the Albury-Wodonga region while the public hospital is run under its current governance.”