Age discrimination victim wins compensation

An NHS manager has been awarded £147,000 in compensation after a tribunal ruled she had been a victim of age discrimination.

Linda Sturdy, aged 56, who had worked at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for over 17 years was led to believe that she was the preferred candidate to get a senior job in managing breast screening services at the trust. However she failed to get the job which went to a 43-year-old with less experience leading to her belief that she had suffered age discrimination.

Mrs Sturdy was offered a more junior position with the trust but turned it down and was sacked. She was subsequently reinstated but made redundant on the day she returned to work and decided then to take legal action.

The tribunal heard that when she submitted her application a manager at the trust told her, “I didn’t realise you were so old”. Managers could not explain why they did not give Mrs Sturdy the job.

She received £40,000 in damages last year and has now been awarded £147,000 to cover lost salary and pension rights. Jackie Green, HR Director at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We have looked closely into what happened to learn lessons.”

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