Nurse Wrongly Accused: Grieving the Loss of a Lifelong Career

A nurse who was wrongfully accused of engaging in an improper relationship with a mentally ill patient states that she is currently in "mourning" over the loss of her career.

Jessica Thorpe, who hails from Newcastle, worked as a nurse for the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. She faced suspension following an allegation made by a patient claiming she was expecting his baby.

This week, an employment tribunal decided she should receive £23,500 in compensation from the trust, which expressed disappointment over the ruling of constructive dismissal.

"Getting into nursing isn’t motivated by the paycheck; it’s about your personality and who you are as an individual," Miss Thorpe stated.

It feels as though I am grieving the end of my professional journey.

Ms. Thorpe became part of the trust in 2016 and was pursuing a nursing apprenticeship with Sunderland University when the accusations came up in 2020.

During the five-year period leading up to the tribunal hearings, the nurse struggled to restore her reputation.

It feels as though the past five years have been overwhelmingly suffocating.

I have utilized platforms such as social media to divert my attention away from that and act as though it’s not occurring.

However, since everything has concluded, I feel as though I can finally take a deep breath and continue with my everyday existence.

Following her suspension, the 31-year-old launched an Instagram and YouTube channel that gained such widespread popularity that the income generated from her posts allowed her to cover her expenses after quitting nursing.

I stumbled upon social media entirely by chance," she stated. "It wasn’t supposed to become as significant as it did; I never imagined making money from it or switching careers because of it.

This completely distracted me, pulling me away from the realities I was facing in my life.

Ms. Thorpe mentioned that she was the initial one to raise concerns about the patient when he informed her that he thought she was expecting and that the child was his.

She informed the nurse who was in charge of the mental health section where she was employed and documented verbatim what he had stated within the patient's records.

However, a few weeks afterward, when he brought up the same accusation to another employee, Miss Thorpe was put on suspension awaiting an inquiry.

She admitted feeling nauseous as she realized the situation had spiraled out of control, despite her previous objections.

I agree with the suspension itself, but I have issues with how they handled things afterward.

Ms. Thorpe attended a disciplinary hearing and the claim made against her was dismissed.

Nevertheless, the patient passed away subsequently, prompting an independent inquiry. As a consequence of this investigation, Miss Thorpe was removed from her duties for a full two years.

Once she was finally informed that she could go back to work, she felt her standing had been compromised and she wasn’t receiving the backing she expected from the trust, leading her to resign.

Lynne Shaw, who serves as the executive director of workforce at the trust, mentioned that they have implemented several measures for Miss Thorpe’s comeback, such as establishing a return-to-work program and assigning her a mentor.

Nevertheless, Ms Thorpe chose to terminate her job with the trust.

Ms. Thorpe filed lawsuits against the trust for constructive unfair dismissal, illegal withholding of wages, and violation of contractual agreements, winning on all three charges.

I figured that if I took them to court, I could formally clears my name and tell them they can't mistreat individuals like that.

Mrs. Thorpe mentioned that the tribunal procedure was both extremely challenging and highly expensive, and she expressed worries regarding its broader implications for the NHS.

"We constantly hear that the NHS doesn’t have funds and is facing nurse shortages, but they are essentially bleeding money over cases like mine," she stated.

Prolonged suspensions come at such a high cost. Why are taxpayer dollars being used for this instead of funding proper care?

Ms. Shaw stated that the trust was disappointed with the tribunal's decision but "respects its conclusions and will examine what insights can be gained."

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More on this story

• Payout for nurse suspended over fake patient claim
• Nurse put on leave following patient's baby claim victorious in court

Related internet links

• Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust