More than a decade ago the manager of an NHS electroconvulsive therapy clinic near Cardiff started bullying her colleagues. Award-nominated nurse Kara Hannigan harassed staff, likened the appearance of one to a “prostitute”, and created a “degrading” work environment. A misconduct panel heard that when she learned a colleague was making a complaint about her she hit back by putting her on a bogus capability process.
The nightmare left one nurse close to taking her own life. But the victims continue to wait for their tormentor to be held accountable. Ms Hannigan is still in post at the ECT clinic although last month she was placed under restrictions – including that she must work from home – after a panel upheld disturbing allegations against her. Her fate is set to be decided at a hearing in March. But staff members are also still waiting for accountability in another sense.
Former colleagues of Ms Hannigan have claimed to WalesOnline the bullying was enabled for years by cultural issues higher up in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. We can reveal that staff reported Ms Hannigan’s behaviour on multiple occasions – the first as long ago as 2015 – but after years of inaction finally resorted to taking their concerns outside the health board.
ADVERTISEMENT
Staff allege the case is a damning indictment of senior health board figures’ attitude towards workplace bullying, which they feel would never have been dealt with if not reported to a regulator. One of the victims was allegedly forced out of the clinic against her will while Ms Hannigan remained. In response the health board told us it takes bullying seriously and “wants all colleagues to feel safe”.
‘She was so destructive’
Ms Hannigan qualified as a nurse in 1991 and became manager of Cardiff and Vale’s ECT clinic in 2009. The work of the clinic, which is based at Llandough hospital, involves passing electric currents through a patient’s brain to cause seizures or fits. There is still mystery over how or why it works but the treatment – sometimes known as electroshock therapy – can help people with severe depression, mania, or catatonia.
According to the findings of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) misconduct panel Ms Hannigan’s campaign of bullying and harassment occurred between 2014 and 2019. Her behaviour was found to have affected four staff members including two who were subjected to a “hostile” and “intimidating” environment.
The panel upheld an allegation that Ms Hannigan humiliated and degraded a nurse by commenting on her appearance as “something like prostitutes would wear”. The hearing was told she referred to this employee as a “blue mascara girl”. Ms Hannigan intimidated another nurse by scheduling a meeting with her into the daily diary “for no reason”. The hearing was told that Ms Hannigan had spoken with other colleagues about why she did this, allegedly saying: “When I put, ‘Kara and [nurse’s name] – meeting’ in the diary, I know it stresses her out and I enjoy watching her face when she reads it in the diary.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Nurses felt that Ms Hannigan appeared to enjoy “holding court” by gossiping and making disparaging comments about her colleagues. Speaking about one junior colleague to another she said: “Look at the way he’s done his notes – that’s disgusting. I need to have a word with him.” She was also found to have disclosed information about two colleagues who had been redeployed.
On one occasion she told a nurse “at least you’ve washed your hair today”. On another she accused the same nurse of breaking the clinic’s Christmas tree. Former staff members described Ms Hannigan “constantly needling” the nurse about the tree in a “vindictive” manner. One source who witnessed the behaviour said: “She would not let it go. She was so destructive.”
In 2015 one of the nurses told Ms Hannigan she “couldn’t take this anymore” and that the toxic behaviour was making her unwell. That day the same victim reported Ms Hannigan to a senior nurse in the health board. The next day Ms Hannigan called the victim into her office and informed her she was being placed on a capability process – despite the nurse having a record of strong performance appraisals.
The hearing was told that no concerns had previously been raised over the experienced nurse’s capability but she was forced to take a course on extremely basic tasks such as how to copy and paste on a computer. The nurse felt she was put on the process because of her complaint against Ms Hannigan. The panel found that Ms Hannigan violated the nurse’s dignity by “inappropriately” starting the capability process.
‘Bullied and victimised for speaking out’
The nurse went on sick leave for a few months due to stress from the problems at work. Following her return in January 2016 she felt “things seemed to improve” but then the “sly remarks” resumed. The hearing was told that the nurse repeated her concerns about Ms Hannigan’s behaviour “many times” to senior managers over the following years but “no action was taken and the issues were never addressed”.
ADVERTISEMENT
The panel heard this victim requested mediation but it never took place because a senior manager deemed it “pointless”. Eventually she filed a formal grievance to the health board in July 2019. The following month there was a preliminary disciplinary investigation by the health board. But WalesOnline has seen social media activity from November 2019 in which two senior managers at the health board shared praise of Ms Hannigan – saying “we are all so proud of you” – for being named runner-up in the Royal College of Nursing’s award for nurse of the year in mental health.
The preliminary investigation concluded there was evidence to support allegations of bullying and harassment, and that a formal disciplinary hearing was needed. But Mark Jones – the health board’s directorate manager for adult mental health – took over as disciplinary officer in 2020 and called off the hearing. He concluded Ms Hannigan’s behaviour “did not fit with the health board’s values and behaviours” but said the issues could be addressed through training and “the informal discussions process”. Mr Jones admitted the health board had “failed to take appropriate action in the preceding years” and should have offered mediation “at a much earlier stage and much more support”.
At this point the victim who filed the grievance felt she had no option but to report Ms Hannigan to the NMC. Ms Hannigan denied misconduct but when the regulator examined the case it described her management style as “autocratic”. She was referred to a fitness to practise hearing.
In the meantime there had been developments at the ECT clinic. During the initial investigation by the health board Ms Hannigan had briefly been redeployed. But she returned to the clinic after Mr Jones cancelled the formal disciplinary hearing against her. The victim who had brought the grievance was then redeployed – allegedly against her will to enable Ms Hannigan to return to the clinic. Sources claimed she was effectively punished by the health board for being a victim of bullying.
The misconduct panel heard this victim “felt bullied and victimised for speaking out”. She felt she had been forced out of the clinic while “the health board was providing all the support to Kara”. In a statement to the NMC she said: “I am no longer the person I used to be. Kara has taken years away from me. My confidence was slowly knocked back making me feel useless, worthless, and at times wanting to end my life.”
ADVERTISEMENT
After the panel upheld damning allegations against Ms Hannigan the regulator applied for an 18-month interim suspension ahead of the next hearing in March. Alex Radley, the barrister for the NMC, argued: “It’s necessary for the protection of members of the public and the wider public interest. We say the misconduct carried on for a lengthy period of time and there was clearly a substantial impact on colleagues. There is clearly an impact that could follow on members of the public and patients if the nursing staff working with her are caused distress while at work.”
The application was opposed by Ms Hannigan. Her barrister Louisa Simpson pointed out no complaints had been made over her client’s conduct from after 2019 but acknowledged the “mental and emotional harm” caused to Ms Hannigan’s colleagues. She told the panel: “Clearly you will have read her reflective piece and she doesn’t undermine her colleagues’ experiences. She recognised their distress in her evidence to the panel and has reflected on that since stage one.”
Ms Simpson added that her client’s breaches of the nursing code of practice were “not at the most serious end of harm” and that the risk of repetition was “minimal”. She cited a reference from Ms Hannigan’s boss describing her as “a caring, kind, knowledgeable, hardworking, and dedicated nurse” and a “sensitive, valued member of the nursing family”. The panel heard Ms Hannigan had taken a series of courses including one on compassionate leadership.
“We ask that no order is made but if one is necessary then it should be for interim conditions of practice,” said Ms Simpson. “It has been agreed she will work from home and on discrete pieces of work while a colleague will manage staff in her place, adding an extra layer of protection against similar behaviour or harm.”
The panel imposed an 18-month interim order for conditions of practice including that Ms Hannigan must work remotely. But whistleblowers criticised the health board for offering this unusual arrangement to allow her to continue working. They claim this is another example of senior management failing to treat Ms Hannigan’s bullying and harassment seriously. One of her former colleagues said: “I don’t know how it is possible for her to do her job at home. She’s a clinical expert at ECT and she’s meant to be there. She’s also meant to train junior staff and lead within the ECT. I don’t know how that role can be done from outside the clinic.”
A spokesperson for the health board said: “Cardiff and Vale University Health Board takes allegations of bullying and harassment seriously and wants all colleagues to feel safe and supported in the workplace. The university health board is working with the NMC while the investigation is ongoing and is unable to comment further.”
If you would like to talk to WalesOnline about a story we should be investigating contact our investigations editor at conor.gogarty@walesonline.co.uk
You can contact the Samaritans for non-judgmental advice 24/7, 365 days a year, by calling 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org.
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
