A receptionist at Lewisham NHS was attacked by a security guard. The incident led to a tribunal ruling in favor of the receptionist for unfair suspension.
Lewisham: A shocking incident unfolded at the NHS Trust. Ben Murphy, a receptionist, faced a terrifying attack from a security guard.
It all started as some light banter. But things escalated quickly. The guard called Ben ‘fat,’ and Ben shot back with a ‘bald’ comment. Then, it got serious.
According to Ben, the guard lost it after he joked about his mother. The guard grabbed Ben by the throat and slammed his head against a wall. It was a scary moment for him.
In self-defense, Ben managed to get the guard in a headlock. He threw some punches until other security staff stepped in to break it up. The guard was fired after the fight.
Ben was suspended by the NHS Trust. They gave him a written warning for misconduct after a disciplinary hearing. He felt it was unfair since he was just defending himself.
In his resignation letter, Ben expressed his fear from the attack. He felt like the trust didn’t treat him as a victim. He later filed a case against them for unfair dismissal.
The tribunal found that the trust didn’t consider Ben was acting in self-defense. They ruled that his suspension was unfair and that he deserved better support during that time.
In the end, Ben was awarded over £4,300 for lost earnings and £15,000 for emotional distress. The NHS Trust accepted the tribunal’s decision and had no further comments.
