A BROMSGROVE nurse is seeking compensation for disability discrimination and unfair dismissal after being off work for a year while suffering from depression.

Mrs Lesley Green of Hinton Fields, Bromsgrove, told Birmingham Employment Tribunal that Worcestershire Health & Care NHS Trust should have made adjustments to help her cope with her disability.

Mrs Green who was said to be good at her job, also complained that the trust should not have dismissed her.

The trust opposed her compensation claims and said they had to employ agency workers to cover for Mrs Green while she was off work for a year.

The agency workers were needed during Mrs Green’s absence to keep services to patients and the public running, said the respondents.

The trust also said Mrs Green should have consulted occupational health and considered taking early retirement on the grounds of ill health.

It had been up to Mrs Green to make enquiries about early retirement and not the role of the employer, it was said.

The tribunal was told that Mrs Green failed to attend a crucial meeting about her situation which led to her dismissal following her long absence from work.

She later appealed against the decision but admitted she had been unfit for work at the time.

Mrs Green agreed, during cross examination, that at one stage she did not know when she would be able to return to work.

The trust denied Mrs Green had been dismissed because of her disability and said the dismissal was fair.

The hearing has been listed for five days and a decision is expected at a later date.

The trust covers a wide area, including the Princess of Wales Community Hospital, Bromsgrove, Malvern Community Hospital, Pershore Hospital and Hill Crest Redditch.