From: sharmila chowdhury [mailto:sharmila.chowdhury@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 13 November 2015 13:37
To: CE England (NHS ENGLAND)
Subject: response from Department of Health

Sent via email

Dear Mr Stevens,

I have received this response from Hunt’s office yesterday. Clearly there still seems to be a lack of understanding about applying for jobs as a whistleblower at The Trust i.e. none available & I may also endure risking last 12 months being repeated.

My fixed term contract organised by DH/TDA ends this month and no future plan. I have suffered in total of 6 years now with ongoing cancer.

I have been left stressed during the last year at Imperial as clearly they didn’t appreciate having their arms bent to take me on. Permanent solution was asked to be found. Instead I was offered fixed term post at much lower pay and not related to my experience.

I have since discovered there was a post in radiology at Charing Cross of Imaging Services manager as the current post holder was given different project to manage. The temporary vacancy was being covered by the Imaging Manager at Hammersmith.

I covered 6 different posts in the one year – none related to my previous 30 years of experience.

Got bullied into covering 3 full-time posts at same time, all new to me, because the line manager took me to one side and advised ‘we are giving you an opportunity’.

Post then got restructured where I ended up carrying rucksack with my own laptop and paperwork across 3 hospitals – carrying weights is medically contraindicated as I have had surgery and risk lymphedema, which I have now developed.The physio found swellings on my shoulder.

The post then got restructured again, where it no longer existed. Text messages kept being sent by my line manager about jobs outside the trust to encourage me to resign – none of the posts were suitable.

I was also contacted via my website by someone who said he was a recruiter who wanted to help me & happened to live in Charing Cross. I coincidentally was based at Charing Cross at the time – so how did he know? I responded by saying I wanted to meet. He didn’t reply. After a month he responded, saying that it was a small world and he had been having drinks with my line manager who mentioned me!

Despite not having a single day off sick, I was referred to occupational health check because I had asked why a computer wasn’t working. Apparently the network was down.

Following 3rd restructure, where my post no longer existed – 10 months into the 12 month period, I was moved to a remote office at Hammersmith and was no longer invited to meetings and was alienated.

I ended up having to contact TDA (Kathy McLean) and Hunt’s office again who intervened. I was given projects to undertake for the remainder of 2 months in a better environment where I am not bullied.

However, one year on, I am again facing being jobless, without income and risk of losing my home.

I have suffered now for 6 long years. I now have cancer – still having treatment. I just need to be able to live a ‘normal’ life.

I simply need my pay and pension reinstated to what it was when I whistleblew and some recognition that I have been unable to pay mortgage for the last 6 years (just being paying interest to keep things going).

I really hope you can help me. I have kept  evidences of all of above, in case you want to see.

TDA/Monitor and NHS England  need to review how they help whistleblowers. This hasn’t really worked. It has left me stressed with no real long term solution.

What is NHS England’s role in helping whistleblowers to get jobs and/or redress into their situation?

I would be very happy to help in moving things forward to help other whistleblowers. There needs to be discussion with whistleblowers who have undergone nearly all aspects of NHS whistleblowing – which I have.

Best wishes

Sharmila