A WHISTLEBLOWER at Southend Hospital who claims she was bullied by colleagues after raising concerns to managers was offered just 56p in compensation to settle her case, a court heard.

Healthcare assistant Gillian Austin, 58, is attempting to sue Southend Hospital for £185,000 in damages claiming she was subjected to six months of victimisation.

She claims she reported a nurse for taking just four-and-a-half hours off between a night shift and her next shift, believing it was putting patients at risk.

Mrs Austin, from Hockley, told East London Employment Tribunal Service: “The whistleblowing letter was written out of concern.

“I felt what she was doing was irresponsible behaviour and in the letter I described it as extremely dangerous.”

Mrs Austin, who is still employed at the hospital, told the court she was put before a disciplinary panel. She said she was exonerated, while the allegations against the nurse were upheld.

But Mrs Austin alleges senior managers instructed colleagues to alienate and bully her as a result.

She resorted to secretly recording conversations with colleagues in a bid to prove she was being victimised.

She said: “The point I’m making is, under the whistleblowing policies,I shouldn’t have been subjected to six months of repercussions.”

She was offered a settlement by the hospital of 56p and is now putting this forward as part of her collection of grievances.

Mrs Austin, who is now on antidepressants, lodged an official grievance in November 2009 and forced the hospital to appoint an independent assessor to look at her claims.

The hospital, which is contesting the allegations, says proper procedures were followed.

The independent inquiry found the whistleblowing procedures had not been correctly followed, but supported the outcomes of the disciplinary hearings. It found no evidence of intimidation or bullying.

Mrs Austin, who earns £26,000 a year, has gone ahead with the tribunal, despite being warned by a judge last year that she had very little chance of winning and could face a hefty bill if the tribunal rules against her.

The hearing continues this week.