News / Human Rights

Christian health worker “made look crazy by NHS”

Tuesday, 21 April 2015 5:37 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 21 April 2015 5:38 PM ]

Victoria Wasteney says she was made to look crazy by the NHS when they disciplined her for allegedly trying to convert a Muslim colleague.

A Christian health worker says she was made to look crazy by the NHS when they disciplined her for allegedly trying to convert a Muslim colleague.

The thirty-seven year old senior occupational therapist, Victoria Wasteney denies the ruling that she bullied her colleague saying it was “far from the truth”.

She lost a tribunal earlier this year in which she claimed she was discriminated against because of her religion.

Miss Wasteney, who is now being supported in her appeal by the campaigning group Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre, had been working at the trust for seven years before she was suspended in 2013.

An eight-page letter of complaint detailing allegations of bullying and harassment was written by her Muslim colleague. It claims Miss Wasteney was trying to convert her and asking her to pray while giving her a book about another Muslim who had converted to Christianity.

It also states the colleague felt as though she was being groomed when Miss Wasteney put her hand on her knee for ten minutes and prayed for God to come to her.

Miss Wasteney has said in a new interview that "I obviously felt as though I'd been painted as a bit crazy and someone who bullies someone and someone who harasses someone and who goes out of their way to manipulate and groom someone, which is far from my truth.”

"It was sad to hear later it was described as 10 minutes long. It made it sound like it was an exorcism thing that was going on and it was very hurtful. It wasn't, in my heart it wasn't the intention. I genuinely cared about her and I still do and I really hope that she is well," she added.

Dr Robert Dolan, chief executive of the trust said: "We have a strong reputation of positively supporting staff and patients from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are an inclusive trust that values and respects diversity.

"We would like to emphasise that as a trust our concerns have always been about the behaviour and actions of a senior manager employed by the trust and not about the faith or religion of any individual."

SU/HA

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