By Pamela McGowan

Last updated at 13:15, Friday, 17 October 2008

A senior nurse who claims she suffered racial discrimination at the hands of hospital bosses must wait until at least December – and probably the New Year – to find out if she has won her case.

Mixed race Sarina Saiger claims she was subjected to a campaign of victimisation and harassment while working for the North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Bosses have strongly refuted all of the allegations.

The former assistant director of nursing, who also argues she was unfairly dismissed, has been at the centre of a six-week tribunal hearing at Quayside House in Newcastle, which was due to end today.

But, due to the detailed nature of her claims and number of witnesses called, the case is not expected to finish as planned.

Instead a further eight days have been reserved from December 10.

It is therefore unlikely that a judgement will be made before the New Year.

Over the past six weeks, the court has heard Dr Saiger set out her allegations against the trust, which runs the Cumberland Infirmary and the West Cumberland Hospital.

The long list of claims relate to her time at the trust – from June 2005 to May 2008.

The most significant are accusations against her former boss, now-retired director of nursing Bruce Skilbeck, in which she claims he said she was the “wrong colour and culture” for Cumbria.

She also alleges that he physically assaulted her during a heated argument, grabbing her arm so hard that she was left with a hand-shaped mark.

But when he took to the stand last week, Mr Skilbeck denied all of the accusations, saying she made the whole thing up to strengthen her claim.

Dr Saiger has also accused the majority of the trust’s senior managers of either being involved in her harassment, or failing to take appropriate measures to stop it happening.

Her long list of grievances includes personal attacks on many of these people, including some unsubstantiated claims about their private affairs.

She was particularly critical of former chief executive Marie Burnham and the current human resources director, Shirley Chipperfield, who she says led the campaign of bullying and harassment.

Both women spent two days in the witness box denying the allegations, instead claiming that Dr Saiger is playing the “race card” in a bid to get financial compensation.

They say it is not the first time she has secured a pay out from an NHS trust.

First published at 11:49, Friday, 17 October 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk