I was a hardworking, competent, nhs professional. Well liked by colleagues and managers alike.
I began to get bullied by a clinical specialist within my discipline. I was the latest ‘target’ of many colleagues who had found alternative employment due to the bullying. It was relentless and affected my mental health. So I got signed off from work.
I attempted suicide, got sectioned and picked up the usual labels from the mental health world. I never returned to that job I found alternative employment in another nhs trust. I stated severe bullying as my reason for leaving.
It didn’t end there though, the original trust decided to attempt to get my registration removed by my governing body. For 3 years I had to live and work with a hearing ongoing that could strip me of my registration at any point. My new found mental health ‘labels’ were used against me to imply I’d lied and made up about all the bullying and I was actually just ‘really unwell’.
Thankfully at final hearing the panel sided with the fact that there was no evidence I actually had the conditions I’d briefly been ‘labelled’ with.
I’m now free after 3 long years, but I’m scarred for life. Scared that the NHS would cover up and allow bullying to the extent someone attempts to take their own life and then use mental health as the justification that clearly it had never of happened.
That nhs trust have blood on their hands and will go enormous lengths to protect someone in a higher position.
I would never EVER recommend someone challenges or raises bullying – for your own sanity, get out before it is too late.
This is my story as a: Member of staff
NHS Trust (or Provider): Don’t know/prefer not to say
Timespan: 3-4years ago
Did you raise concerns?: Yes
Did the Trust (or Provider) retaliate?: Yes
Can you share more, maybe share the tactics used?: Once I had attempted suicide as a result of bullying they went to my professional regulator and attempted to get me struck from the register.
Would you tell colleagues that the FTSU Guardian route is a safe one?: No
Were your concerns addressed and dealt with satisfactorily?: No
Which option best reflects the Trust’s (or Provider’s) culture?: Bullying/Toxic
Your ethnicity: Prefer not to say
Have you experienced suicidality due to this?: Attempted suicide more than once
Are you autistic?: No
Are you disabled as defined under the Equality Act 2010?: Prefer not to say
