Olivia Burke
An NHS nurse told of the years of 'torture' she endured after a patient alleged that she was pregnant with his child.
Jessica Thorpe, 31, was employed as a nursing assistant for the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust when the claims were made against her.
Her ordeal began just months after she started working on Ward Z at a secure facility for men with mental health disorders, who had been sent there after being referred from a prison facility, as per the BBC.
A man known only as Patient X, who later passed away in December 2020, claimed that he had struck up an 'inappropriate relationship' with Thorpe in April 2020.
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He also claimed that she was 'pregnant with his child', resulting in NHS bosses suspending her three days later.
The following month, she was informed that a disciplinary investigation would take place - but it didn't actually happen until July 2021, more than a year after the allegations were initially lodged.
An employment tribunal in Newcastle heard that during this period, a 'series of extensions' were applied to Thorpe's suspension, while the nurse said she only received basic pay, losing around £1,000 a month.
Her suspension was eventually lifted in July 2021 and the claims made by Patient X were not upheld by the Trust due to a lack of 'conclusive evidence'.
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Despite being invited back to resume her NHS role in October 2022, Thorpe instead resigned in protest the next month, suggesting that her employers had failed to stamp out staff 'gossip' about the 'alleged relationship'.
The nurse turned into an online foodie, then sued the Trust for constructive unfair dismissal, unlawful deduction of wages and breach of contract - and won.
She has now been awarded £24,118 after the tribunal ruled in her favour.
After her unfair dismissal claim triumphed in November last year, Thorpe shared a statement on social media saying she was glad that the end was finally in sight after 'years of her time and happiness' being 'stolen'.
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"These last four-and-a-half years have been torture for me, and I did not deserve a second of it," she told her tens of thousands of followers.
"I'm just glad that the end of the road is near. I will not be taking any time off from social media, as this has already stolen years of my time and happiness, and I will not allow it to steal any more.
"Thank you for everyone who has been so kind to me."
After the amount of compensation she would receive was decided at a hearing last week, Thorpe took to Instagram to share a poignant post about her victory at the tribunal.
She captioned the emotional video: "5 years to the day that I got sent home suspended. Quite poetic. My shoulders have dropped. My jaw has unclenched. Finally I’m free."
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Thorpe also shared a clip to social media ahead of the compensation hearing, explaining she 'finally feels like she can breathe again' after a 'long' five years.
Sharing a snap of her sporting her nursing uniform, she captioned the post: "5 years ago this announcement was made. I was 26 and a nurse apprentice. Little did I know, a few weeks from now, a patient would make a false allegation against me and I'd be suspended from work for 2 and a half years.
"Today I am 31 years old. I cleared my name and won a legal battle against my NHS Trust for the way they treated me. Next month is my final hearing to determine my compensation.
"5 years later. I will never be a nurse."
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In wake of the decision announced by the employment tribunal in November last year, Lynne Shaw, executive director of workforce and organisational development at the trust, said: "The Trust is disappointed with the outcome of the tribunal. However, we respect the findings of the tribunal and will look at what lessons can be learned."