An ambulance worker, Paula Smith, is set to receive a £14,000 compensation after successfully challenging her unfair dismissal by the NHS. This decision stems from an incident where Paula’s wife, Stacey, attacked their supervisor, Michala Morton, with a hammer due to a belief that Michala was hindering their time off requests as a couple. Despite being cleared of any involvement in the attack, Paula was terminated from her position at the North West Ambulance Service Trust.
The employment tribunal, held in Manchester, revealed that Paula, a 26-year veteran in patient transport, and Stacey, who also worked in patient transport, faced difficulties in coordinating their schedules to align their time off together. Grievances against Michala were raised by the couple in 2021 and 2022, which were not adequately addressed. The situation escalated when Stacey physically assaulted Michala in November 2023.
Paula, who had no part in the assault, was arrested but later released without charges. Despite this, she was suspended from work and faced the prospect of dismissal. A meeting was held to discuss her future employment, where concerns were raised about her association with the incident. Eventually, Paula was dismissed, with the Trust citing a lack of trust from patients, staff, and the public due to her connection to the criminal case.
Following unsuccessful appeals, Paula’s dismissal was upheld. Stacey was subsequently convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to prison, leading to the end of her relationship with Paula. Employment Judge Paul Holmes ruled that Paula’s dismissal was unjustified as her only connection to the incident was her marriage to Stacey. The tribunal concluded that Paula’s dismissal was premature and that she should not have been terminated solely based on her relationship with the perpetrator.
The exact amount of compensation Paula will receive remains to be determined, as the tribunal expressed disapproval of the Trust’s handling of the situation and the haste in dismissing Paula before exploring alternative options.
