RECORD damages have been awarded to a former NHS manager who won an age discrimination case against Leeds hospitals.
Linda Sturdy said she felt "vindicated" after being awarded more than £40,000 – including the biggest ever payout for injury to feelings in a discrimination case.
But the bulk of Mrs Sturdy's £500,000 claim, which with costs and taxes could see Le
eds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust facing a bill of nearer £1m, has yet to be decided.
The 58-year-old, who had 17 years service, said: "It's been dreadful over the last couple of years, a very traumatic time and extremely stressful.
"The anxiety that I have gone through, I think the judge summed it up – I hit a brick wall."
Mrs Sturdy, who lives near Ripon, said the ordeal had been "horrendous".
"It takes away your self esteem, my self confidence plummeted. I had been a successful woman manager in a job I loved, at the pinnacle of my career.
"It was all pulled out from under me. I felt crushed by what they had done."
She said she hoped hospital bosses were taking note of criticisms from the tribunal panel and would make sure nothing similar happened again.
Tribunal judge Christine Lee said in judgement: "By the time we get to the end of the victimisation, the claimant would have literally wondered what was coming next.
"In terms of age discrimination, the injury to feelings was as bad as it gets."
Mrs Sturdy was based at Seacroft Hospital running breast screening services for Leeds, Wakefield and Pontefract.
In 2006 she was told her job was going but another role was to replace it.
Her manager told her she was in line for it, but when she pointed out she was 56, he replied: "I didn't realise you were so old."
The new job was given to a younger, less experienced candidate.
Then, the tribunal found, hospital managers tried to force her to take a lesser role and her grievances were not dealt with properly or promptly.
Mrs Sturdy went off sick with stress, was sacked, later reinstated only to be immediately made redundant.
Last year, the tribunal panel ruled the hospitals trust had not followed its own policies and that Mrs Sturdy had been subjected to age discrimination and victimisation.
Following the damages decision Jackie Green, director of human resources at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said: "Whilst we are aware of and fully recognise the ruling of the tribunal in the Linda Sturdy case, the trust totally rejects any suggestion that as an organisation our policies or procedures discriminate against older employees."
