NHS manager wins £150k compensation

Nanette Bowen, from Llanelli, was employed at the Prince Phillip Hospital for 28 years and worked her way up from porter to information manager, reporting directly to the chief executive.

But her troubles began in 2000, after Llanelli and Dinefwr Trusts merged to become Camarthenshire NHS.

Over the next three years, Ms Bowen was subjected to severe harassment from her new boss Eric Lewis. He made sexual innuendos towards her and was regularly aggressive when challenged, Swansea County Court heard.

He also removed her responsibility for hiring staff, did not allow her to pass on information to staff without his consent and made her fill in a daily form for him to monitor her work.

The harassment caused Ms Bowen, who was the main breadwinner in the family, stress and panic attacks. She was signed off sick and, on one occasion, was rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack.

Judges at the court found the then Carmarthenshire NHS Trust liable - now the Hywel Dda Health Board following another merger.

A spokeswoman said that the board intended to introduce additional training to ensure incidents like this did not happen again.

Health union Unison leader Dave Prentis said: "Ms Bowen has been left unable to work and support her family, is too scared to leave the house to socialise and the NHS has lost a skilled and dedicated member of staff."

The union had taken up Ms Bowen's case following the harassment. Ms Bowen said that the money could never make up for her life being ruined.

"I am still suffering and continue to have counselling to control my panic attacks," she said.

"The NHS was my life, so I have had to leave a job I loved and have been able to go out properly only three times in the past six years."

She said that, although the trust failed to support her, she hoped that her case would make other workers more likely to speak out.