Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Award-nominated nurse Kara Hannigan is no longer an employee of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board after a regulator found she harassed colleagues and created a degrading work environmentKara Hannigan was suspended from her nursing jobAn NHS manager has been suspended after likening the appearance of one colleague to a sex worker, and bullying another to the point of suicide.Award-nominated nurse Kara Hannigan is no longer an employee of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board after a regulator found she harassed colleagues and created a degrading work environment. Hannigan – who was paid more than £53,000 a year as an experienced band seven nurse – qualified in 1991 and became manager of the clinic in 2009.Staff first reported her behaviour in 2015, but after years of inaction by the health board they finally resorted to taking their concerns to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Last year a misconduct panel upheld a series of damning allegations against Hannigan and this month it imposed a 12-month suspension.Former colleagues of Ms Hannigan said they welcomed the outcome but that lessons must be learned over the health board’s failure to properly deal with the issue a decade ago. They questioned why the health board allowed her to continue working at the electroconvulsive therapy clinic – which is based at Llandough hospital and uses electric currents to treat depression – until last November when she was forced by the regulator to start working from home.The misconduct panel found 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. Hannigan humiliated one nurse in front of other staff by commenting on her appearance as “something like prostitutes would wear” and a “blue mascara girl”.In 2015 one nurse told Hannigan the toxic behaviour was making her unwell and that she would be reporting it to a senior nurse in the health board. The next day, 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 panel found the capability process was bogus and told Hannigan it was “an attempt on your part to deflect from and cover up” the bullying. Panel chairman John Kelly noted Hannigan was so confident in her position that she “felt able to share with another member of staff how she intended to place [the victim] on the capability plan” before the victim had a chance to make a bullying allegation.Hannigan intimidated another nurse by scheduling meetings with her into the daily diary “for no reason”. The panel found she was confident enough in her position to tell another member of staff: “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.” Mr Kelly said the manager was aware of the distress she was causing and “derived enjoyment” from the emotional reaction.Colleagues said Hannigan enjoyed “holding court” by gossiping and making disparaging comments about her colleagues. She was found to have disclosed sensitive information about two colleagues who had been redeployed. On one occasion she told a nurse: “At least you’ve washed your hair today.”The panel found there was a power imbalance between Hannigan and less-experienced staff. She abused her position of trust through “deliberate actions of bullying and harassment perpetrated against junior colleagues”. Mr Kelly said: “Your disclosure of sensitive information about colleagues to other colleagues also underlined those concerns. Your actions have been found to be calculated and deliberate and your behaviour indicates a significant and concerning attitude towards junior members of staff.”One of the victims, who said the bullying left her close to taking her own life, repeatedly reported her concerns about Hannigan’s behaviour to senior managers over the years with no action taken. In 2019 there was a preliminary disciplinary investigation by the health board. But WalesOnline has seen social media activity from later that year in which two senior managers shared praise of 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 that a formal 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 Hannigan’s behaviour “did not fit with the health board’s values and behaviours” but said the issues could be addressed through training. At this point the victim who filed the grievance felt she had no option but to report Hannigan to the NMC.During the initial investigation by the health board 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 Hannigan to return to the clinic. Sources claimed she was effectively punished by the health board for being a victim of bullying.Alex Radley, the barrister for the NMC, said the misconduct was so serious that Hannigan should be struck off the nursing register. But her barrister Louisa Simpson 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 argued the risk of repetition was “minimal” and cited a reference from Hannigan’s boss describing her as “a caring, kind, knowledgeable, hardworking, and dedicated nurse” and a “sensitive, valued member of the nursing family”. Hannigan had taken a series of courses including one on compassionate leadership.The panel imposed a 12-month suspension after which another panel will review the order. A spokesman for the health board confirmed it no longer employs Hannigan and said: “Cardiff and Vale University Health Board takes allegations of bullying and harassment seriously and want all colleagues to feel safe and supported in the workplace.”The health board has cooperated fully with the NMC during the process of this investigation, and the individual no longer works for Cardiff and Vale UHB. As part of the health board’s ‘speaking up safely’ process colleagues are encouraged to raise any concerns they have with the confidence that their voices will be heard and suggestions acted upon.”
