Nurse was banned from caring for white baby

A black nurse who was not allowed to care for a white girl because the child's racist mother complained was today awarded £20,000 compensation.

Rosie Purves, 58, was subjected to racial abuse by the woman when the child was treated for cystic fibrosis at Southampton General Hospital over a seven-year period.

The mother shouted at her and left racist messages for her. On one occasion Mrs Purves needed to move the child from a bed into a cubicle and was confronted by the woman in the paediatric unit. Mrs Purves said: "She was shouting and swearing that I had no right to be there, that she did not want me to look after her child and that black people shouldn't be in the hospital.

"A lot of parents are under a lot of strain having a sick child to worry about. But when it is directed at you because of the colour of your skin that's a different matter."

Mrs Purves claimed racial discrimination-against Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust claiming they failed to take action to prevent the abuse.

She said the hospital had an " ongoing arrangement" to keep her from treating the girl by moving her to different wards when the child was admitted.

The tribunal unanimously backed her claims.

Tribunal chairman Martin Kurrein said the trust had been "silent and complicit" in the racist demands made by the mother, a drug

addict. He added: "The effect on the applicant was substantial. She had a churning in her tummy each time a new child was admitted in case it happened again."

Mrs Purves told the hearing: "I feel as if the trust really does not take the issues of racism and racial harassment seriously.

"I have always been in love with my job, totally committed and really happy and proud of everything I have done."

The trust told the tribunal that the mother was aggressive towards all staff and the only reason the baby had been moved was to give staff on the ward a break.

But a trust spokeswoman said after the hearing: "We accept the tribunal's findings and would like to send our sincere apologies to Rosie Purves. We made a mistake in the handling of this case by trying to provide care for a patient whose relative was racially abusive.

"In hindsight we should have refused treatment and in future will do so." She added: "Rosie is a superb nurse and we are sincerely sorry for all the distress this has caused her."