Nurse wins £41,000 after being excluded from tea round and workplace dispute

AN NHS nurse has been awarded £41,000 in compensation after leaving her job, citing unresolved workplace issues with a colleague.

Susan Hamilton, a diabetes specialist nurse, claimed that dietician Abdool Nayeck excluded her from tea rounds after she questioned his competency, according to The Telegraph. She also alleged that he ignored her greetings and turned away during meetings.

The tribunal heard that the two had a difficult working relationship since 2018 following a disagreement over a patient’s treatment.

In 2019, they signed an agreement to communicate civilly, but Hamilton said there was little change in Nayeck’s behaviour apart from him stopping tea rounds entirely.

Hamilton, who worked at St Helier Hospital in Sutton, London, raised multiple grievances against Nayeck and the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust over its handling of her complaints.

She also accused Nayeck of bullying and stealing a book.

A tribunal in Croydon heard that Hamilton was signed off work with stress in 2021 and later resigned in January 2022, citing a breakdown of trust with the NHS trust. She then took legal action.

Employment Judge Kathryn Ramsden ruled that the trust had failed to take adequate action over several years and acknowledged the impact on Hamilton’s wellbeing.

The tribunal concluded that she was left unable to continue her job due to the situation.