AN INVESTIGATION into race discrimination, bullying and harassment at an Oxfordshire health trust is underway after a nurse spoke of daily torture and abuse.

The staff member at Oxford University Hospitals, who has worked for the NHS for more than 36 years, says she experienced 'racism in its most vile form' from three colleagues.

The woman of Caribbean heritage, who wishes to remain anonymous, says that when she transferred to the Oxford trust at the age of 40, her manager was 'wonderful' and 'encouraging', but it all changed five years ago when they retired and the department was moved into another team.

In a statement published as part of OUH public trust board meeting papers, she detailed how she was 'systematically bullied' by three team members.

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She added: "I went from being an award-winning manager to someone who was useless, was not as good as the others, whose work was rubbished regularly and could not do anything right. 

"Including the work I had been doing for 25 years, won a national patient safety award for, and which was benchmarked and used by other trusts.

"I went from a confident, happy, productive, effective manager in the trust, to someone who was shouted at in front of the team, made to cry, belittled, and a pathetic version of my former self."

Eventually, after feeling 'worthless', she visited her GP, who prescribed anti-depressants and suggested counselling. 

She was then put on sick leave and referred to a counsellor in Oxford, who later suggested that she was suffering from PTSD due to the bullying and harassment.

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The nurse's case is not an isolated incident, with a total of 28.1 per cent of the 3,052 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff at the trust claiming to have experienced harassment, bullying or abuse from colleagues in the last 12 months.

Speaking about her return to full-time work, the nurse said: "On return to work the team had a mediation session, which basically turned into a witch hunt by the perpetrators. 

"Two weeks later I was removed from the team under a duty of care for my mental health. 

"The mediator was not happy at what she had observed and asked HR to remove me. 

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"I had 36 years of continuous NHS service and experience."

This staff story was developed in partnership with the BAME Staff Network and was included in OUH's board meeting on Wednesday to demonstrate how 'seriously' the trust takes these problems.

In a statement, a spokesperson for OUH confirmed they are working with the staff member to further address the problems and provide support.

They added: "We want our staff to feel confident and able to raise any perceived incidences of racism and bullying, and also be assured that these will be addressed appropriately and at the highest level."