Studley nurse loses claim against former health trust employers at tribunal (From Redditch Advertiser)

Studley nurse loses claim against former health trust employers at tribunal

10:20am Monday 28th January 2013 in News

A STUDLEY nurse who treated prisoners in Redditch’s Hewell prison has lost a compensation claim for constructive unfair dismissal after complaining she was victimised, bullied and subjected to a witch hunt.

Debbie Pitt, of Redditch Road, who had been employed by Worcestershire Healthcare NHS Trust at the men’s prison, eventually resigned after clashes with a senior boss, Birmingham Employment Tribunal was told.

Mrs Pitt who made her compensation claim against the trust, said the working relationship with her boss eventually made her ill with stress and caused her to resign.

The tribunal was told that the working relationships between the two women deteriorated after Mrs Pitt did not like the close management style of her boss and felt bullied, humiliated and harassed.

At one stage the employers arranged talks over coffee and mediation in an attempt to sort out the problems but without success.

The trust proposed moving Mrs Pitt’s boss to another prison in an attempt to separate her from Mrs Pitt but moved Mrs Pitt to another care team instead.

Mrs Pitt said she felt her distressed by her move and believed she had been unfairly labelled as the “guilty party”.

She later resigned after complaining she had been the subject of a witch hunt.

The trust had opposed Mrs Pitt’s compensation claim after saying it had done all it could to improve the relationship between the two women.
Tribunal judge Alan McCarry said that a trust management member had investigated the situation and had claimed there had been no evidence of bullying or harassment.

“The trust’s view was that Mrs Pitt’s boss had acted in an appropriate way in carrying out her duties,” said Mr McCarry.

“It had also been alleged, at a later stage, that Mrs Pitt’s boss had been undermined.”

Mr McCarry said employers always faced a difficult situation when two employees did not get on well and said he sympathised with Mrs Pitt over the stress caused and her frustration.

“She said she resigned because she felt humiliated and victimised and alleged there had been a witch hunt, “ he said.

But he added that the situation had not arisen because of the respondent and rejected her claim.

Mrs Pitt said afterwards she now had a job with the police.