An NHS boss has won his case after a worker accused him of a catalogue of sexual innuendos which finally led to her resignation from an Oxford hospital trust, writes Victoria Owen.

Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre chief executive Colin Jones said he was "satisfied" after an industrial tribunal threw out sexual discrimination allegations made by former manager Shirley O'Hara.

The NOC Trust was also cleared of constructive dismissal against Miss O'Hara. The 31-year-old claimed Mr Jones had made a string of "unwelcome" advances to her after she took up her post of project director and disability services manager in August 1997.

She alleged Mr Jones looked down her dress at a dinner, questioned her about what Catholic girls were like in bed and made comments about his personal life leaving her uneasy in his presence. He finally decided to restructure the management team, warning her not to apply for a new role as project director, she claimed.

But tribunal chairman John Hollow said he believed Miss O'Hara had "substantially overstated her case".

He referred to an incident when Mr Jones and Miss O'Hara had been discussing plans for a hospital swimming pool.

It was alleged that Mr Jones said: "You would love it in the summer with all the physio girls lying around it", and that Nick Relph, Health Authority finance director, who was also at the meeting, had told him it was an inappropriate remark.

But during the tribunal, Mr Jones said he had meant the comment to be a joke - and Mr Relph could not remember the incident. Mr Hollow said: "It seems to us that the remark was a light-hearted comment to which the applicant made no objection at the time.

"It seems strange to us that Mr Relph has no recollection of making such a remark to a chief executive. It seems to us to be something that would really have stuck in his mind."

In another incident, Miss O'Hara alleged Mr Jones made suggestive remarks about his personal finances while the pair were travelling to a meeting.

During the same journey, she claimed the 55-year-old, of The Farthings, Marcham, near Abingdon, made inappropriate comments about President Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky.

But Mr Hollow said he was not satisfied that the incident was evidence of sexual discrimination.

He said: "The conversation was nothing out of the ordinary at the time.

"That was a typical topic of conversation.

"And the remark that Mr Jones had more cash now that he did not have to worry about his children is in fact something that strikes a chord with many parents." The tribunal panel also doubted Miss O'Hara's fears that Mr Jones was ready to hit her during a meeting, in March 1999, when he told her that she could not do her job.

"We find it very hard to accept that Mr Jones intended to strike Miss O'Hara or give her cause to believe he was going to hit her.

"A chief executive seriously assaulting a senior manager is something we find very hard to believe," said Mr Hollow.

In a statement after yesterday's hearing, in Reading, Mr Jones said he regretted that the "baseless and damaging allegations" were made at all.

Miss O'Hara, of Old Road, Headington, Oxford, was angry with the decision, but said she did not regret working for the NOC despite the "painful memories of a difficult and wearying time".

She said: "I did come here to tell the truth and I told the truth and for other people to hear what really happened.

"My complaint was against an individual and is not a reflection of the good people who do work at the NOC trust."

Story date: Wednesday 01 March

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