NHS cleaner sacked for taking 400 sick days in four years receives huge payout after Manchester tribunal hearing

An NHS cleaner fired for taking more than 400 days off sick in four years has been awarded a huge payout by a tribunal after her boss 'did not believe' she was disabled.

Zoe Kitching had several lengthy periods of leave from her job at the Lancaster Suite at Royal Lancaster Infirmary between 2019 to 2023.

Most of the time off was as a result of 'complex mental health issues' - but one NHS boss insisted she was not disabled ahead of her unfair sacking, a hearing in Manchester heard.

Ms Kitching has now successfully made the complaint against the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust after representing herself at the hearing at Manchester Employment Tribunal. She won claims of disability discrimination and unfair dismissal and has been awarded £49,147, the Mirror reports.

Ms Kitching sometimes suffered breakdowns which led to having time off, it was heard. She asked her manager Ruth Bradburn if she could cut down her hours at the Lancaster Suite, but Ms Bradburn refused the request. One period of disability-related absence, from September 2020 to January 2021, lasted for 130 days.

Although she had previously been classified as disabled, in January 2021 the hospital received an occupational health report which 'curiously' stated she was 'not a disabled person within the meaning of the Equality Act 2010', the tribunal found.

Over the following months, Mrs Bradburn - Patient Environment Site Services Manager - held meetings with Ms Kitching over her absences and set her targets to reduce days off.

By June 2023, her absences had improved, but she was sacked by David Passant, Divisional Manager of Facilities. Christopher Brisley, People and OD Business Partner, told Mr Passant Ms Kitching was not