Who am I?

My name is Shankar. I want to share my story of bullying, exploitation and racial harassment. I am an Asian doctor who has worked happily in my department for 19yrs. I was shocked to find myself in a situation as dramatic as Forced Labour in my hospital. If this can happen to me, this could easily happen to anyone working in the NHS.

My story

On Friday 13th April 2018, I was falsely accused of fraud by my managers who coerced me to work for free. I was made to feel that I would bring shame to my parents, lose my home and go to jail. I feared losing the job that I love, if I did not agree to the terms imposed by the managers. I was humiliated, isolated and forced not to speak with anyone about it.

This has been defined as modern-day slavery.

My managers showed a flagrant disregard for hospital policies. Their unprofessional behaviour brought the department and the hospital into disrepute.
Once I gathered the courage to speak out, a senior colleague immediately put a stop to my dire situation. Despite this, I had to continue to work alongside these people who had intimidated me and still do to this day.

The investigation took 16 months to finally clear my name but it has left me devastated without an apology and more questions than answers.
If that wasn’t enough, my case details were leaked to a national newspaper. I feared that my family and I could be innocent victims of public humiliation and ridicule.
I had gone from a respected & enthusiastic doctor to a traumatised individual. I now suffer with mental health issues, which I struggle with on a daily basis. 

The passion and concern for my patients under challenging circumstances motivated me to keep going. Some days are harder than others but throughout I’ve focused my energy on what matters most – my patient’s welfare.

Why is this important:

Of course, slavery and racial discrimination are unlawful acts and clearly have no place in modern society, particularly in the NHS, in the 21^st century. Through my complex case, which will be heard over 8 days at the end of the year, I want to highlight that forcing someone to work for no money is a form of modern slavery. I believe my employers have failed to recognise this issue and the seriousness of what took place.

With your support, I want to continue to challenge these immoral practices so that ruthless people who prey on the vulnerable have no place to hide in our beloved NHS.

Shankar